Ask Cari

Watch Union Rags trained by Michael Matz, owned by Phyllis Wyeth of Chad Ford’s stables

This stunning three year old colt is a super horse and ready to take on any challenger.

The race will be exciting and historic, tune in Saturday to NBC for the Run for the Roses.

Rex will be teaching a clinic in Manor,
Texas this weekend, just north of Austin,

check for details at SwansonPetersonProductions.com

Meet RJ Masterbug, the famous Hollywood Stallion from Hidalgo
Rex Peterson Clinic
Portland, Tenn
Sunday April 1, 2012
1:00-4:00 $30 audit fee

North of Nashville off I-65

Rex will start an unbroke 6 year old TB Stallion and work RJ, the famous American Paint Stallion from Hidalgo

Anderson Ranch
8951 Byrums Chapel Road
Portland, TN 37148
contact cari@cariswanson.com for details

RJ is travelling across the country to meet his fans at Rex Peterson Clinics

in Virginia, Kentucky, Texas and New Mexico.  Check here for Clinic schedule

Join our youtube channel for the latest videos posted each week.  This video shows you what to expect at the Obstacle Course Clinic,

join us on your horse or ride one of ours.

Train on the Obstacle Course Sunday, March 11, 9:30am

$100/horse or lease one of our horses

work over and under tarps, up banks, under a tent, raise a cone over your horses head, open an umbrella under saddle, and many more obstacles to build confidence with your horse.  Contact us at cari@cariswanson.com to reserve a space.

At one o’clock, Meet and Greet RJ from Hidalgo and Mr. T (Secretartiat, Arthur, Dreamer, Temple Grandin, etc.) and learn how Rex trains horses for film

When?  Sunday March 4

Where?  Windrock Farm 724 Bangall Amenia Road, Amenia, NY

What time?  Noon

$20/person kids under 10 free

Come meet Hollywood horses and world famous trainer Rex Peterson, find out how horses are trained for difficult stunts in film and television

Mr. T portraying Secretariat on location in KY, you can see the poor job painting his legs white,

it is easy to darken a horse but nearly impossible to put white on a dark horse.

RJ on the set of a magazine cover shoot.  He is posing with a beautiful

Hermes scarf for a specialty Danish Equestrian Magazine on location

at Windrock Farm.

Bring your horse to train on our Obstacle course including a bank, ditch, log jumps, noodles, tarp, cone, cans etc.  Test your training and level of confidence you have in your horse.  contact cari@cariswanson.com to book a session

In choosing a horse there is no substitute for experience either acquired or ‘borrowed’.
If a vet is involved, so much the better, but always find one who is objective and
independent of the seller. The key is to find a horse that is suitable for both the rider
and its purpose.
Without a sound horse you have no horse, so in the selection process Soundness is
vital – don’t buy a horse which already has soundness problems as you can be sure to
encounter enough along the way!
When it comes to Conformation there are really 10 sections of the horse to consider,
in addition to Colour, (which should never be bad, but while chestnut mares have
dubious reputations some can be brilliant) and Type (meaning the horse should be
uphill and balanced and not be on their forehand, where they hit the ground too hard
to survive the rigours of training and competition).
• Head should be well-formed and intelligent with a big open eye, which is the
first thing one looks for.
• The horse should have a Good Front with the head and neck in proportion
and the head must sit correctly on a long rather than short neck.
• In Body the back should be short but not too short, and the chest and rib cavity
should be deep.
• Tail should be set well up the hind quarters and swing freely from side-to-side.
• Quarters should have plenty of width and strength.
• Hocks must be strong and well set, as competition horses put great weight on
the hind legs and hocks (look out for Thoroughpins – soft swelling on the
inside or outside of the hock; Spavins – bone enlargement on the side of the
hock; Curbs – a bony enlargement at the back of the hock. These all spell
weaknesses, though a false curb may be acceptable.).
• Front legs should not be light boned nor back at the knee. The knee itself
must be strong and flat and the pastern neither too short nor too long.
• Feet must be well-formed, matching and not too small, flat or upright.
• Wind must be clear and sound. A vet will confirm whether a horse has been
‘hobdayed’ or worse still ‘tied-back’, which are both operations to the larynx
aiding air flow.

• Teeth must meet correctly and be in reasonable condition. The teeth serve as
an accurate way to check the age of the horse.
Beyond Conformation the prospective buyer should look for a horse with good natural
Movement, while the horse’s Temperament is almost as important as its soundness.
Finding a horse with real natural Talent is something of an immeasurable, but look for
a horse with potential. Don’t be afraid to choose a horse in the rough, often
preferable to buying a dealer’s horse, turned out beautifully, which could be masking
a problem or flaw. Identify any Stable Vices upfront, be that Weaving – where the
horse moves from side-to-side, shifting weight from one foot to the other; Box
Walking – where the horse walks endlessly round the stable; Wind Sucking – where
the horse takes in air while sucking or biting the stable door; or Crib Biting – where
the horse bites on the door or other items in the stable. These can all adversely affect
the condition of the horse. Finally, there is Price which will be related to age,
experience, breeding, health and success. This must be related to affordability, both
the initial cost and the cost of training, maintaining, producing and competing.

We believe in teaching kids to ride with confidence from the very first ride.  They learn to go and whoa in the first lesson and most importantly have fun!

Kids learning to ride in balance at Windrock Farm on a hack with Cari and Lauren leading the kids on Mr. T and Goldie.   The rider is in control, however, if there is any sudden movement of the horse, we have control of the bridle with a neck rope to prevent any mishaps.  It is critical to instill confidence in the rider from the very beginning of lessons.

The ultimate goal is for the horse and rider to be molded to each other.  Together they form a finely balanced whole, a living work of art, which is beautiful and graceful, and which works with the precision of a clock.

This famous stallion is in the pedigree of both Riviera and Rascalla, two of our

exceptional young horses at Windrock Farm.

Rotspon is the grandsire of Rascalla, who is an amazing mare who came to us last

summer.  She is an uber athlete with a calm intelligent mind.