IT DOESN’T GET BETTER THAN THIS

WRITTEN BY BOB KAPER
PUBLISHED IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HORSE MAGAZINE

Ask the question, "what is your idea of a place you would call heaven on earth", and you’ll get as many answers as times asked. My perfect day starts when looking out over a west Texas prairie on a crisp winter day. The bite of a frosty northern breeze quickly fades to the background as the call of bobwhite quail erupts when the morning sun peeks over the endless horizon. Two overanxious English Setter pups strain against their leads while our calm and quite Rocky Mountain Horses await us; prepared to follow the bird dogs and faithfully carry their riders to the next covey of quail that are surely hunkered down beneath a juniper bush just over the next hill. Smooth gaited horses, classy bird dogs and bobwhite quail have gone hand in hand for over a hundred years. While heaven on earth for me does exist, it just happens to be 1000 miles away. Living in Northwest Indiana means that my typical day-to-day bird-hunting season is a far cry from the type I most truly desire. So what do I do with my horses and bird dogs for the rest of the year? The answer for me...Field Trials.

I’ll begin by describing the game of field trials so you can appreciate how well the Rocky Mountain Horse plays its part. Horseback field trials were designed to pit bird dog against bird dog in a hunting situation testing their natural talent and trained abilities. The dogs leave the starting point in braces, two dogs at a time, followed by the handlers, with judges and often a gallery on horseback trailing quietly behind. Each brace of a trial normally lasts 30 to 60 minutes. The trial ground, or course, is seeded prior to the first brace with game birds for the dogs to find. These game birds typically consist of quail, pheasant, or chukar. The breeds of canine athletes in a pointing dog trial are typically English Pointers, English Setters, Brittany Spaniels and German Shorthairs. At the end of the event the winner is typically the dog that exhibits a strong forward ground race, shows style and heart, has an exceptional ability to smell and find game birds and handle those finds with manners. When a dog is found "on point", (this is where the dog smells a bird and stops motionless), the handler must ride up to the dog, dismount the horse, flush the bird and fire a blank gun. The dog must remain motionless through this entire process until the handler releases the dog by command to continue hunting. Unless you are a world-class sprinter, your horse must remain "ground tied" throughout this process.

Field trial venues and terrain vary depending on the geographic area they are held. You, your dog, and horse may have to navigate the rugged slopes and vistas of the west, the rolling plains from North Dakota to Texas, pick your way through the bogs and hardwood thickets of the northeast, or meander the piney plantations of the south. Regardless of where the trial is held you and your animals will some day be tested by the worst Mother Nature has to offer. They will have to negotiate streams; beaver ponds, thick brush, bridge crossings and slick rocky slopes just to name a few. On the course, a trial horse will be exposed to deer, turkey and other wild game exploding from cover. Sudden rushes of commotion like these will test the most seasoned horse.

While some might consider the horses’ role in these events is to simply carry handlers and judges from point A to point B, nothing could be further from the truth. The horse becomes an active partner in the process; often time anticipating what dog and/or handler are going to do next. A field trial horse is expected to travel at a walk, intermediate gait and canter for at least 1 hour at a time under the conditions previously mentioned. A judge’s horse will be asked to do this for a minimum of 4 to 5 hours. A good trial horse must be able to travel in a group or alone, while maintaining a quiet demeanor. They have to be comfortable around dogs...have them run between their legs...carry a dog back to the starting line lying across the saddle, all while remaining perfectly calm. Dogs are often exercised using a procedure called "roading". This is where the dog is slipped into a harness and a long lead is attached to your saddle. The dog then pulls against the harness while the horse follows. Both dog and horse must learn to work together to achieve success. After a few repetitions of following the dog through the course, an intelligent judge’s horse will soon begin to track and follow the dog with little guidance from the rider. When this happens you know you have a winning combination.

I’ve been formally around bird dogs in one way or another for the better part of 30 years. It wasn’t until more recently that I was exposed to horses while judging a few local trials. When you don’t travel with your own horse you are at the mercy of what the wranglers for the trial provide for you. The outcome can be good or bad, you never know. Once we decided we liked the game of dog trialing my wife Tara and I began the search for a couple seasoned trial geldings. With the qualities previously mentioned in mind we began our search. We looked at the usual suspects; Tennessee Walkers and Missouri Fox Trotters were both naturally considered. It was at the Hoosier Horse Fair during the "parade of breeds" that our perception of a potential trial horse changed. After watching most of the gaited breeds demonstrate their capabilities we were ready to leave when a breed we had never heard of was announced to come into the ring. As we began to walk away the flash of the flaxen mane and tail against the dark chocolate body caught our eyes. We both looked at each other and said, "We’ve got to stay and watch this." After watching the horses calmly negotiate various obstacles and exhibit the smoothest of gaits, we decided we had to find out more about these outstanding animals. Shortly there after, we found ourselves walking down "Stallion Row" at the fair. Observing the typical uptight and nervous stallions we found one of the Rocky Mountain Horse stallions. It was then after being introduced to Guy and Adele Minix and their magnificent horse Dakota that Tara and I began to get even more excited about the breed. As we talked to Guy and Adele about the breed and their farm, Minix Mountain Horses, it was hard to take our eyes off their 4 year-old son Manden sitting on the back of Dakota while the stallion stood quietly in his stall. We knew we had found our breed!

The rest so they say, "is history." Bandit’s Run Farm and Kennel was soon established. Our two geldings and seven English setters soon included a Dakota mare in foal to Charmin’s White Cloud. After producing a wonderful little filly, a repeat breeding produced a double cream stud colt we named Bandit’s Gunsmoke. Gunsmoke is now standing stud with Orville Whalen at the Whalen Training Center in Cynthiana, KY. Seven horses and seventeen setters later we have traveled down this path further than either of us ever planned. Crazy? Maybe so, but I’ve been called a lot worse. All I can tell you is, when I’m sitting atop MX Dakota John watching a young setter striding toward the horizon, it doesn’t matter if in my dream setting of west Texas or back home in Indiana. I can’t help but think, "it doesn’t get any better than this".

Bob & Tara Kaper
Owners / Breeders
Home (219) 956-3348
Cell (219) 241-5250
Email
tkaper@banditsrun.com

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