Heidi Melocco

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Articles

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Horse Clinics

Jan 17, 2025 | horseillustrated.com | Heidi Melocco

Learn how you and your horse can get the most out of your clinic time with these tips from trainer and clinician Mike Brashear. At the start of Mike Brashear’s clinic in Nunn, Colo., he invited—or nearly commanded—students to ask questions and speak up if they didn’t understand or needed extra help. “You’re paying good money to get help,” he said.
IEA Show Tips

Dec 23, 2024 | youngrider.com | Heidi Melocco |Samantha Johnson

If you’re interested in competing at Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) shows, try these tips from trainer Ariel Hug. What do the Mile High Equestrians hear before they enter the show ring? “Rock it like Beyonce!” Trainer Ariel Hug says putting on a cloak of confidence helps her 21 elementary through high school riders get the judges’ attention during IEA competitions.
Meet the Pony of the Americas

Nov 15, 2024 | l8r.it | Samantha Johnson |Heidi Melocco |Jean Abernethy

Mason City, Iowa, is situated in the heart of Iowa, and it’s probably best known as the birthplace of composer Meredith Willson of The Music Man fame. But the city is also famous for another reason: it’s the birthplace of a beloved American pony breed, the Pony of the Americas. In the mid-1950s, at about the time Meredith Willson was busily composing the songs for The Music Man, another Mason City man—a lawyer named Les Boomhower—was raising Shetland Ponies.
Western Saddle Fit Made Simple

Oct 25, 2024 | horseillustrated.com | Heidi Melocco

Saddle fit doesn’t have to be stressful. To make sure that a western saddle fits your horse well, keep in mind that you want it to make as much contact as possible around the horse’s back so that it can distribute weight well. Darrell Nephew’s mission is to help horse owners find saddles that fit well without endless research and worry. He began crafting saddles in the 1980s, and is now executive vice president of Circle Y Saddles.
Ranch Riding: Gates

Sep 27, 2024 | horseillustrated.com | Heidi Melocco

Working a gate from horseback is a necessary skill when riding on the ranch. When competing in ranch riding classes, the obstacle can be part of the competition or the entrance to the competition grounds. You’ll need to know the process so that your horse has the skills necessary to open and close a panel gate. Here, trainer Cody Crow helps you learn how to approach the gate opening correctly and to ride through smoothly and safely.
Teach Your Horse to Cross a Ditch

Sep 9, 2024 | horseillustrated.com | Heidi Melocco

Crossing ditches is a must when you’re working around a ranch; the move can also be part of ranch riding competitions set up to mimic real working conditions. While some horses will walk, trot, or jump over any ditch, others—especially those not raised on pasture—may balk at a ditch. Here, trainer Cody Crow helps you encourage and teach your horse to cross a ditch without hesitation.
Master Your Reining Spins

Jul 5, 2024 | horseillustrated.com | Heidi Melocco

The spin is the maneuver specific to reining. The stylized movement shows your horse’s willingness to move on cue with speed and agility. It’s also the move most associated with riders’ concerns. Will I stop on time? Will I get too dizzy? Will I lose count? Trainer Cody Crow rides reining patterns in working cow horse competitions. There, one of the requirements is to perform a reining pattern before calling for a cow.
Cattle Work 101

Apr 16, 2024 | horseillustrated.com | Heidi Melocco

Whether you’re new to cattle work or want to improve your cattle-driving skills, you’ll need to learn how to influence a cow’s movements. How you and your horse approach, track, and drive a cow influences where it will go next. To master driving and turning a cow in the arena, you must know where to position your horse. “The best way to control a cow is to be closer to the cow,” says trainer Cody Crow.
How to Sidepass Your Horse

Apr 3, 2024 | youngrider.com | Heidi Melocco |Abigail Boatwright

The sidepass is a common maneuver for ranch and trail classes. In the show ring, your horse should move carefully and willingly sideways across a pole at your command without knocking the pole. He must move directly to the side without taking a step forward or back—all while keeping the pole evenly spaced between his front and back hooves.
Canter Exercises for Adjustability

Mar 27, 2024 | l8r.it | Shoshana Rudski |Heidi Melocco |Abigail Boatwright

Whether you have competitive goals of jumping courses in the show ring or just enjoy playing over a few fences at home, you always want to help your horse jump his best. However, it isn’t good for him to jump every day. What can you do between jump days? This is the perfect time to hone your skills and work on creating an adjustable canter for jumping. Try these canter exercises to improve adjustability.