Sporting Road

Western Saddles

We almost never ride western, preferring polo, foxhunting or show jumping (English) saddles for various disciplines and for cross country terrain. However, there are times when a western saddle is more suitable or secure for training young horses. And certainly, if you going to rope, rein, cut or do ranch work, you can't do that in an English saddle. But let's face it, Western saddles are not generally very comfortable for more than just short rides, but with the help of our friends, we discovered that not all western saddles are alike, in fact there are more options than you can shake a stick at, which makes western saddles confusing to many if not all English riders or other newcomers to the Western seat. Here are the differences. This is the story of our search for the perfect western saddles for our purposes, which are probably radically different than most Western riders, but we are mostly looking for a saddle that rides English but looks Western. Martin Saddlery definitely makes some of the best western saddles and South Texas Tack is one of the best places to get them. First, you have to decide what type of saddle, as described by saddleupcolorado.net the abbreviated list is as follows: 1. All Around Saddles All-around saddles live up to their name. They are one of the most versatile saddles out there and can be used in just about every discipline. They are designed for anything! You can use an all-around saddle for ranching, roping, barrel racing, trail riding, and more. These saddles have a strong and stout horn so you are able to rope out of them or even drag cows with it. It is also equipped

By Sporting Road|February 4th, 2022|Categories: Foxhunting, Ranching, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Saint Nicolas De Myre – The French Santa

The tradition of Santa is based, at least in part, on a real man, St. Nicholas of Myra. Born in Turkey to wealthy parents who died young, Nicolas gave his inheritance to the poor and needy. One of the best-known legends of Nicholas is that of a man who had three daughters and not enough money to provide dowries for them. It is said that Nicholas walked by the house and threw a bag of gold through the window (or alternatively, down the chimney) on three consecutive nights. The custom is that on the night of December the 5th, children place their shoes beside the fireplace or at the door. By morning, their little shoes are filled with chocolates, candies, nuts and fruits. Then during the day of the 6th, a little donkey donkey carries baskets filled with biscuits and sweets into the village.

By Sporting Road|December 13th, 2021|Categories: France|Comments Off

Tanning a Deer Hide

In this manner, how do you prepare a deer hide for tanning? Scrape every particle of fat and flesh from the hide with a knife. Begin the tanning process or preserve it with a generous layer of non-iodized salt. Salted hides can be air dried until the onset of warm weather, or frozen. Soak the skin in water in a plastic garbage can until it softens, changing the water often. How do I tan a hide with the hair on? Salting is what sets the hair and keeps the hide from decaying. Lay the hide out flat, flesh side up. Rub the salt into the hide. If the cape has been tube skinned, turn it over and salt the other side of the cape. Applying salt on the hair side is not necessary.

By Sporting Road|December 9th, 2021|Categories: Hunting|Comments Off

Smarty Jones and Shesasmartypants

American Pharoah’s beautiful photo on the cover of Sports Illustrated marked only the third time a horse has graced the front of that magazine in the last 50 years. Smarty Jones got the cover in 2004 and Mine That Bird got it in 2009 after the Kentucky Derby. Smarty Jones (February 28, 2001) is a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and came second in the Belmont Stakes. He captured hearts around America. Smarty Jones was America's most loved horse in recent memory. He was one of only three horses to ever grace the cover of Sports Illustrated in the last 50 years and probably the most memorable, because people loved his humble beginnings and his name. We are excited to have Smarty Jones's daughter in our polo string, Shesasmartypants, and she is off to a great start in that career, just like her father was in racing. https://youtu.be/4wIfGJKXNtU https://horsenetwork.com/2015/11/legend-smarty-jonesutm_sourcefb-racingutm_mediumsocialutm_campaignsmarty-jones/ Smarty Jones and Shesasmartypants, his filly Now comes the time for just putting on mileage, which is what makes a polo pony. Here is the Argentine way of making polo ponies... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx9RoXvCcio

By Sporting Road|October 6th, 2021|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off

A Day at the Races, Behind the Scenes

Shesasmartypants by Smarty Jones gets a bucket of oats Racehorses Get A Lot of Exercise They get turned out walking on a hot walker for 20-45 minutes once or twice a day. They get galloped, breezed or worked (each is progressively faster and the work is a timed workout reported to the track which must be completed twice in 60 days if the horse hasn't been raced in 6 months, and every 6 months thereafter for horses actively racing). And they share a lot of useful remedies with other disciplines to keep horses sound, but they have some of their own. Their Bits are All Snaffles Racehorses Eat A Lot Fiber is an energy source that is often overlooked in horse nutrition. Horses have a highly developed hindgut that houses billions of bacteria and protozoa capable of fermenting large quantities of fiber. The end products of fiber fermentation can be used as energy sources throughout the day because fermentation continues long after a meal has been eaten. Racehorses are generally fed unlimited hay, which amounts to a staggering 15-20 lb (a whole small bale) per day of clean grass hay such as timothy or oaten hay. Smaller quantities of alfalfa hay (2-4 lb or 0.9 to 1.8 kg per day) may also be offered. This level of hay intake will meet the racehorse’s maintenance DE requirement and help protect against gastric ulcers and colic. Feeding hay alone would leave the racehorse with an energy deficit of around 15-20 Mcal DE, and this must be supplied from other energy sources. Traditionally, these extra calories needed to fuel the racehorse were supplied by straight cereal grains such as oats, corn, and barley. The main fuel source in

By Sporting Road|October 6th, 2021|Categories: Hunting, polo|Comments Off

The Dali Lama Diet

Eat Barley Porridge Breakfast, Nothing Past Noon, Eat Occasional Meat, Fresh Grown Veggies, and Wash Down with Horse Milk Tea and Limit Your Vices Excerpted from : https://www.mashed.com/130329/this-is-what-the-dalai-lama-really-eats/ This Is What The Dalai Lama Really EatsBY CHRIS HEASMAN/AUG. 3, 2018 Tenzin Gyatso, otherwise known as the 14th Dalai Lama, is one of the world's foremost spiritual and religious leaders. As a leader of the Tibetan strand of Buddhism, he has lived a life almost perpetually in the spotlight, having been enthroned at the age of 4, forced out of Tibet after the 1959 uprising, and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. During his early years in Tibet, the Dalai Lama would have eaten meat as part of his diet because of the country's reliance on consumable livestock in lieu of sufficient vegetable crops. When he fled to India in 1959, he adopted a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet in accordance with the beliefs of many of the country's own Buddhists. Unfortunately, after 20 months, he contracted hepatitis and developed gall bladder disease, and his doctors insisted he resume eating meat for health reasons. Today, it's difficult to come by meat in the vegetarian monasteries in south India, where he spends most of his time. In 2010, he told NDTV that he usually eats meat once or twice a week, and otherwise lives as a vegetarian. However, when traveling, he does eat meat dishes that are offered to him. [However he eats only before noon,] no dinner, no afternoon meals and absolutely no snacking whatsoever for the rest of the day. Instead, he spends the afternoons discussing work, holding audiences and conducting interviews. By the time most people are sitting down to enjoy dinner, the Dalai Lama has retired to

By Sporting Road|September 30th, 2021|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off

USPA vs Polo Ralph Lauren

Which is better, USPA or Polo Ralph Lauren brand clothing? In answer to this question of which is better USPA or Ralph Lauren clothing some online commentators have said words along the lines of: For the prestige of clothing itself, it's Ralph Lauren. But anyone who cares about the sport of polo and not the brand, should consider choosing the USPA clothing and gear. It is sold under licensing from the United States Polo Association and a big chunk of the profit from the USPA brand goes back into supporting the game, scholarships and work opportunities for young players. And: If you want to impress your non-polo playing friends, buy Polo Ralph Lauren. If you want to impress your polo playing friends, then buy U.S Polo Assn. Having said that Polo Ralph Lauren benefits polo indirectly, by promoting the lifestyle through brand ambassadors such as Nacho Figueras, the face of Polo Ralph Lauren for nearly 20 years now. USPA uses up and coming real polo players to be their brand ambassadors and a big chunk of the proceeds go back to USPA, so we like USPA clothing as it supports polo whereas Ralph Lauren just promotes the polo lifestyle. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the nonprofit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States, founded in 1890. U.S. Polo Assn. is committed to giving back to the sport through sponsorships, past and current player support, youth and collegiate programs, equine welfare and much more. With a global footprint of $1.8 billion and worldwide distribution through more than 1,100 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores, department stores, independent retailers and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel

By Sporting Road|September 29th, 2021|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off

Catching Moments

https://youtu.be/lmAI3HhZCI8 Catching moments---a fishing trip is really about the time in between the catching of fish that makes all of the difference. Be at home. Find your happy place. Make life an adventure.

By Sporting Road|September 7th, 2021|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off

No Good News for Western Grouse

https://projectupland.com/grouse-species/types-of-grouse-you-can-hunt-in-north-america/?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&_kx=Ox4n522nbJfbBh61V-oPKsLNb-YzlDwnmN14gLfM0u4.XSVPXG To protect hens with chicks, Washington sets back forest grouse hunting by two weeks Sun., Aug. 22, 2021A hunter walks a high ridge in the Colville National Forest searching for dusky grouse. (PHOTO BY RICH LANDERS/FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW) By Rich Landers FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW In 2006, the American Ornithologists’ Union split the species known as the blue grouse into two species -- dusky and sooty grouse. Washington is the only state where the ranges of these two very similar forest grouse species meet. Generally, the sooty is found west of the Cascades and the dusky ranges to the east through Idaho and western Montana. Labor Day weekend this year will be time for scouting rather than hunting for grouse in Eastern Washington’s mountains. Breaking a schedule that goes back nearly five decades, Washington’s forest grouse hunting season will open Sept. 15 instead of Sept. 1. State Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists have tried to nudge wing shooters into a later start of the season for about 13 years, citing evidence that it would help stem declining numbers of dusky, spruce and ruffed grouse. But a significant portion of grouse hunters are locked into their traditions. They didn’t want to give up the chance to procure delicious grouse breasts for the camp skillet during the three-day Labor Day weekend. Their comments were heard and heeded by state wildlife managers and the Fish and Wildlife Commission, until this year when the case for protecting more mother hens and their chicks took priority. “Back East, they wouldn’t dream of opening grouse season on the first of September,” said Mike Schroeder, a wildlife researcher and WDFW’s grouse specialist. Forest grouse populations are difficult to survey, he said,

By Sporting Road|August 24th, 2021|Categories: Wingshooting|Comments Off

Why We Hose Off Polo Ponies After Playing

From Dr. David Marlin HORSES, HEAT, SWEATING, COLD-WATER, COOLING, SCRAPING At the risk of preaching to the converted, as a few people are still sending me articles, often written by lay people, sometimes from vets, and telling me how wrong I am, I thought I'd try a pictorial approach 🙂 Per litre, Ice-Cold water (0-5°C) removes heat faster than evaporation of 1 litre of water or sweat. Per litre, the complete evaporation of 1 litre of sweat or water removes 13x more heat than 1 litre of ice-water BUT evaporation takes 10-15x longer to remove the heat. COLD WATER = QUICK COOLING, BUT WASTEFUL OF WATER (INEFFICIENT) - USE FOR RAPID COOLING EVAPORATION OF WATER OR SWEAT = SLOW, BUT DOESNT WASTE WATER (EFFICIENT) - USE FOR KEEPING HORSES COOL MYTHS Myth 1 - “You should never put cold water on a hot horse"Explanation - Ice-cold water(0-5°C) on hot horses does not cause shock, laminitis, kidney damage, muscle damage, tying-up or heart attacks! Myth 2 - “Water left on a horse will heat up and insulate and make the horse hotter."Explanation - Flawed physics! Water is a better conductor of heat than air. A wet horse will actually cool faster than a dry one, even if humidity is 100%. Myth 3 - “Scraping is essential." Explanation - Scraping just wastes time that could be better used putting more water on to cool by conduction. Scraping also wastes water when water is in short supply. Water which could evaporate on the horse. Water evaporating on the ground doesn't cool horses down. Myth 4 “Concentrate on large veins, arteries inside the back legs, large muscle groups"Explanation - NO. Cooling by evaporation or conduction works by cooling

By Sporting Road|August 17th, 2021|Categories: Hunting, polo|Comments Off

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