Synopses & Reviews
Maybe you compete in versatility ranch-horse events or plan to meet that challenge and want to take advantage of every opportunity to polish your performance. Perhaps cattle work can put a fresh perspective on your riding program, or you simply want a handy, responsive horse, no matter what your days ride might bring.
Whatever your interest in Ranch-Horse Versatility, Colorado horseman Mike Major is uniquely qualified to provide the information to take your horse program to the next level. A rancher by profession and a competitor by choice, Major has developed the horsemanship expertise to be successful in both venues, in large part because he draws no real distinction between his show horses and ranch horses. A Major Cattle Company horse might well work on the ranch today and compete in the arena tomorrow, a dual-purpose approach that has proven successful.
Major and his stallion, Smart Whiskey Doc, have claimed multiple national titles—American Quarter Horse Association 2006 Bayer Select Working Cow Horse World Champion, Worlds Greatest Versatility Horse at the National Versatility Ranch Horse Association 2008 and 2009 National Finals, and AQHA 2009 and 2010 Versatility Ranch Horse Open World Champion. Plus, in 2010 Major rode Black Hope Stik, a daughter of Smart Whiskey Doc, to become the inaugural Battle in the Saddle Ranch Remuda Champion and the first Project Cowboy Champion.
American stock-horse associations were founded on the backs of such talented horses, and versatility competition has brought a renewed appreciation for these all-around athletes. In his book, Major shares how he develops such responsive, maneuverable horses. His understanding, how-to tips and thoughtful insights in Ranch-Horse Versatility can help you sharpen your skills to ride effectively, compete successfully and show your horse to advantage.
Synopsis
Written by multiple American Quarter Horse Association world champion Mike Major, Ranch-Horse Versatility helps prepare you to participate in the equine worlds fastest growing event, no matter which competitive association you prefer. Majors training tips can improve your horses performance in all aspects of ranch-versatility competition, and the expertise he shares, gleaned both in the show arena and from real ranch work, can help polish anyones horsemanship skills.
About the Author
Mike Major, ranch-raised in New Mexico, grew up working cattle and riding everything from race horses, saddle broncs, and bulls to cutting and roping horses. As a result of that varied experience, training horses for ranch-versatility competition was a natural progression—and the results have been impressive. Major and his stallion, Smart Whiskey Doc, have earned three AQHA world championships in cow-horse and versatility competition, including the 2009 and 2010 Versatility Ranch Horse Open World Champion titles.