It occurred to me the other day that this blog might be a good way for me to answer a few horse-related questions. So, if something is on your mind, ask away!
Rick
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Doug Preston
I'm a reader, or a bookworm as they used to say. I always have a novel and a few nonfiction books working. My buddy, Rick Swan, got me started on the Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child thrillers. Turns out Doug Preston is an avid horseman - did a 1,000 mile ride retracing the route of Coronado searching for the seven cities of gold and earned a place in the Long Riders Guild. I emailed him and invited him to be on my radio show and he agreed. Great interview covering a wide range of topics, not just horses. Check it out online. We're going for a trail ride next time he comes out this way.
R
R
Haythorn Ranch
Spent a couple days at the Haythorn Ranch in Nebraska "helping" with the calf branding. Actually I wasn't much help but they kindly let me ride along with the cowboys and even rope and drag a few calves to the fire. We shot video for our TV show. The episode airs July 22nd and 27th on RFD-TV. It's a cool story, really. The history of the ranch goes back to 1876 in England and spans five generations of Haythorns. They still do things the old way there and have a fantastic horse breeding program. The cattle are kept around mostly to give the horses something to do. Nice folks.
R
R
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Remembering Orren Mixer
Hi Friends,
Orren Mixer passed away this week at 87. Many of you have been touched by him, even if you didn't know his name or have the priviledge of spending some time with him, as I did. Orren was a painter and a true horse lover. His painting of the "ideal" American Quarter Horse became an icon of this breed and is seen still on the AQHA web site and in AQHA advertising. Same with his paintings of American Paint Horses. And if you have seen the "Legends" series of books published by Western Horseman, you have seen his work on the covers of those books, too.
I met Orren only once, at the AQHA World Show, around 2000. AQHA hired Diana and me to do audio interviews with the new world champions and upload them to the AQHA web site, along with photos, to create virtually "live" coverage of the event. We did that for four of the world shows and met some great people. We also developed some opinions about what is wrong with showing, but that's another story. We loved being around the horses and the people and the excitement.
Orren had a booth in the trade show area and I couldn't believe he was just standing there, so accessible! I was totally familiar with his work and a big fan. I introduced myself and he put me completely at ease. I then realized I had a golden opportunity and I asked him for an interview. He said yes and we did it right there in his booth. I got him talking about his life and some of the famous paintings he did. We laughed and became friends. Years later, when I wanted to publish excerpts from some of my interviews in Horse Smarts, he graciously agreed. I'm going to rerun that original interview in my 5/17/08 show. And if you want to hear some short pieces, go to The Horse Show Minute section of my site and search on "mixer".
In a way, this is the end of an era. I'm so glad we that hour together back in 2000.
R
Orren Mixer passed away this week at 87. Many of you have been touched by him, even if you didn't know his name or have the priviledge of spending some time with him, as I did. Orren was a painter and a true horse lover. His painting of the "ideal" American Quarter Horse became an icon of this breed and is seen still on the AQHA web site and in AQHA advertising. Same with his paintings of American Paint Horses. And if you have seen the "Legends" series of books published by Western Horseman, you have seen his work on the covers of those books, too.
I met Orren only once, at the AQHA World Show, around 2000. AQHA hired Diana and me to do audio interviews with the new world champions and upload them to the AQHA web site, along with photos, to create virtually "live" coverage of the event. We did that for four of the world shows and met some great people. We also developed some opinions about what is wrong with showing, but that's another story. We loved being around the horses and the people and the excitement.
Orren had a booth in the trade show area and I couldn't believe he was just standing there, so accessible! I was totally familiar with his work and a big fan. I introduced myself and he put me completely at ease. I then realized I had a golden opportunity and I asked him for an interview. He said yes and we did it right there in his booth. I got him talking about his life and some of the famous paintings he did. We laughed and became friends. Years later, when I wanted to publish excerpts from some of my interviews in Horse Smarts, he graciously agreed. I'm going to rerun that original interview in my 5/17/08 show. And if you want to hear some short pieces, go to The Horse Show Minute section of my site and search on "mixer".
In a way, this is the end of an era. I'm so glad we that hour together back in 2000.
R
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Shooting TV spot with my horses
Today we had a fun day shooting a TV commercial for Ritchie Waterers at our house. All four of our horses got into the act. The challenge was to get them to drink on cue. Remember the old adage about leading a horse to water? Well, Diana proved it wrong. First, she taught each of them to eat a horse cookie out of the dry bowl. Then we added sweetened water and the horses really went after those cookies, just like they were bobbing for apples. Our youngest, Sarah, did best. She's such a ham! I was very proud of Diana and all of our horses. Keep your eyes open for the spot when our new season begins in May on RFD-TV.
R
R
Monday, March 17, 2008
On the loose in Durango
Hello from the living quarters of my horse trailer! Diana and I are camped outside Alamosa, Colorado and it's COLD! Luckily we have everything we need in our little home away from home.
We're heading back to Phoenix after a two-week expo road trip (Four States Ag Expo in Cortez and Rocky Mountain Horse Expo in Denver.) First one like this we've done. My music parter (Jay Casmirri, also the editor of our TV show) joined us so we could play some music. I love playing and singing, and people seem to think we do a pretty good job at it. We put Jay on a plane this morning.
Between the two expos, we spent a day in Durango shooting a TV segment on the Rochester Hotel and its connection to fifteen classic Westerns shot in the area. That should be on our show in the next few months. Durango is becoming one of our favorite places, but I do have a little problem. I spend too much money there! We keep finding things that are so cool and not available anywhere else. Last year it was a lambskin jacket for me. This time, we picked up the finished hat Melissa made for me on the TV show. Diana also got hers, a flat brim, flat crown gaucho in black. We decided to treat Jay to a custom hat, too, since he was giving up so much time to do the trip with us. Then I got a new winter coat, charcoal, mid-thigh length and very different. I needed it. Really! I was freezing. Oh, and Jay and I each bought a new guitar. This was all in one day, mind you. Ladies, you've got nothing on me in the shopping department!
On the way up to Denver, we stopped and shot a TV commerical in the snow for next holiday season. I wore my new hat and new coat. It felt really, really good. Know what I mean?
More later.
R
We're heading back to Phoenix after a two-week expo road trip (Four States Ag Expo in Cortez and Rocky Mountain Horse Expo in Denver.) First one like this we've done. My music parter (Jay Casmirri, also the editor of our TV show) joined us so we could play some music. I love playing and singing, and people seem to think we do a pretty good job at it. We put Jay on a plane this morning.
Between the two expos, we spent a day in Durango shooting a TV segment on the Rochester Hotel and its connection to fifteen classic Westerns shot in the area. That should be on our show in the next few months. Durango is becoming one of our favorite places, but I do have a little problem. I spend too much money there! We keep finding things that are so cool and not available anywhere else. Last year it was a lambskin jacket for me. This time, we picked up the finished hat Melissa made for me on the TV show. Diana also got hers, a flat brim, flat crown gaucho in black. We decided to treat Jay to a custom hat, too, since he was giving up so much time to do the trip with us. Then I got a new winter coat, charcoal, mid-thigh length and very different. I needed it. Really! I was freezing. Oh, and Jay and I each bought a new guitar. This was all in one day, mind you. Ladies, you've got nothing on me in the shopping department!
On the way up to Denver, we stopped and shot a TV commerical in the snow for next holiday season. I wore my new hat and new coat. It felt really, really good. Know what I mean?
More later.
R
Monday, March 3, 2008
Cox wins RTTH 2008
Hi everyone,
Still high from this weekend's Road to the Horse colt-starting competition in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The fans were just incredible. Returning champ, Chris Cox, went up against Ken McNabb, Tommy Garland, and the "mystery clinician," Mike Kevil. When all was said and done, Chris won it again. But don't think it was easy. I'll leave all the details for press releases and magazine articles that are surely being written even as I type this. There were some major turnarounds in both good and not-so-good ways, and that made for lots of excitement. Each of the guys did an outstanding job. Each of them got a standing ovation at one time or another. And of course, I learned something from each of them.
On a different note, we sold lots of copies of my new book and some people read it immediately. I got lots of positive feedback. Ken McNabb even told the whole audience that I'd kept him up half the night. That was a big endorsement.
I'm off to the airport. More later.
Rick
Still high from this weekend's Road to the Horse colt-starting competition in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The fans were just incredible. Returning champ, Chris Cox, went up against Ken McNabb, Tommy Garland, and the "mystery clinician," Mike Kevil. When all was said and done, Chris won it again. But don't think it was easy. I'll leave all the details for press releases and magazine articles that are surely being written even as I type this. There were some major turnarounds in both good and not-so-good ways, and that made for lots of excitement. Each of the guys did an outstanding job. Each of them got a standing ovation at one time or another. And of course, I learned something from each of them.
On a different note, we sold lots of copies of my new book and some people read it immediately. I got lots of positive feedback. Ken McNabb even told the whole audience that I'd kept him up half the night. That was a big endorsement.
I'm off to the airport. More later.
Rick
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