Tying a hackamore knot with Pat Hooks

There's a little more to the following knot tying instructions than meets the eye. I had the pleasure of working with Ray Hunt on several occasions and this one particular time he shared with me the hackamore knot. Now other than just chewing the fat, what I didn't have figured out at the time was why Mr. Ray shared the knot with me.

I had started a colt that weekend and little did I know, Mr. Ray had watched me pretty close like. After the first ride was in Mr. Ray gathered me up during the break and shared the knot with me--pretty close to the same instructions you see below. Now as Ray rolled his toothpick into the corner of his mouth he said "get that working for you good enough you can get it at the lope."

Next time I worked with Mr. Ray he asked how my knot tying skills were coming along, so I took my piggin' string out and showed him. With a smile as broad as Texas, he was curious to see if I could tie it at the lope? Well beings I was full of pride and in the ripe old age of my twenty's I threw a leg over the same colt I had started previously and showed him I could tie the hackamore knot at the lope.

Read the rest of the story here.

Controversial ad targets Oklahoma equine dentist bill

A group of veterinarians in Oklahoma are hoping a controversial advertisement will convince state legislators to kill a bill that would allow horse owners and their employees to buy and administer veterinary prescription sedatives used in teeth floating procedures.

HB 3202 also amends the Oklahoma Veterinary Practice Act to allow individuals who are not licensed veterinarians to float horses' teeth if they meet state certification requirements.

The advertisement that appeared in Monday's edition of The Oklahoman newspaper links the measure to illegal use of the drugs clenbuterol, a steroid allegedly misused for weight loss, and ketamine, a tranquilizer sometimes used as a "date-rape drug." Four veterinarians who oppose the bill sponsored the ad, which claims the legislation would facilitate illegal drug sales.

"There are unscrupulous people in every profession," said J. Mike Johnston, DVM, one of the advertisement's sponsors. "Someone could become certified and never float a tooth, just to be able to get their hands on the drugs,"

The state's House of Representatives passed the bill earlier this month. The state Senate is expected to vote on the measure later this week.

If passed, the measure would be the third change to Oklahoma's veterinary practice act since 2008 when an amendment established felony charges for anyone practicing equine dentistry without a veterinary license. Lawmakers stripped the felony charges from the act in 2009 after professional rodeo rider Bobby Griswold was charged with the felony.

Griswold, who graduated from an equine dental school but is not a veterinarian, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges. He was sentenced to serve eight months probation. Griswold said equine dentists do not routinely use the drugs in their work. The advertisement represents some veterinarians' final effort to prohibit dentists from practicing in Oklahoma, he said.

Story from The Horse website, www.thehorse.com.