OklahomaHorses Magazine March 2022

March/April 2022 • OklahomaHorses 21 t? t? �@li��� Insurance Agency Inc. Trusted in the Equine/Livestock insurance industry since 1993 Competitive rates with 5 different companies allowing us to write complete coverage for your horses, livestock and farm. Our experience and background make us an insurance agency you can trust. www.xyloshavings.com | 405.469.4516 Pine Shavings | Burning & Bedding Pellets | Animal Feed Bagged Shavings • Bagged Burning or Bedding Pellets Call us for Bulk Shavings Ask us about our new storage service on your site! CONTACT US TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION! IN BUSINESS OVER 40 YEARS! DIY Cross-Training I t’s easy to implement cross-training with your own horse whether you are at home or riding with a professional. The premise of cross-training hinges on doing something differently than normal. That can be as simple as riding outside the arena. “Doing things that are totally off the wall really help a horse mature and grow and ultimately become the best he can be just from being exposed to so much,” said CDWilcox of Wilcox Performance Horses. “If you can take a horse outside the arena to ride and do little things like walk over a log or open a gate from the saddle, it’s going to make his mind work and give you a better horse in the long run.” If riding outside isn’t an option, bring the horse into the arena. Dragging logs into the arena is a great place to start so your horse can learn to pick up his feet and get comfortable with new things on the ground. If you are used to doing straight lines, work on circles, and vice versa. Cross-training outside the arena has produced a fringe benefit for Wilcox, who primarily trains roping horses. “In the last couple of years, the horse business has been improving all across the board,” he said. “Horses are selling for more than they ever have, and it’s most- ly because people are getting into the industry for pleasure rather than profit.” As a result, some of the finished calf horses coming off the Wilcoxes’ ranch in Sunset, Texas, probably won’t have a rope swung off their backs ever again. “We do a lot of stuff on our rope hors- es to get them finished, and because of that, we’ve sold a couple of them to peo- ple who are just going to trail ride on them and go check their cows periodi- cally,”Wilcox said. “It took some getting used to because we work so hard to get the finished rope horse.” Cross-training has helpedWilcox to diversify into an unexpected market. He is confident in the horses that he sells because he exposes them to so much in a short amount of time. Alexa Major Wilcox and one of her barrel- racing horses drag a calf to the fire. Photograph courtesy of Alexa Major Wilcox.