Area horse-lovers saddle up

Pat Alphin sat upright on top of his chocolate-colored horse practicing the exercise that riding expert Joe Leathers had just demonstrated.

“Place your hands on your thighs,” Leathers said, directing the pastor of Circle C Cowboy Church.

HORSE SENSE Riding expert Joe Leathers, left, watches as several Rusk County residents perform riding exercises at the Rusk County Youth Expo Center Saturday afternoon. Leathers, manager of the Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, demonstrated riding techniques and how to address problems in the Circle C Cowboy Church Riding Clinic. Staff photo by Michele Marcotte

And sure enough, Alphin's horse began to move in the direction he wanted. As Alphin leaned forward, backward or sat upright, his horse moved in the same direction.

This was just one of the many exercises Leathers, manager of the Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, presented to more than 100 spectators Saturday at the Circle C Cowboy Church's horse clinic at the Tommy W. McDaniel-Rusk County Youth Expo Center.

The clinic, covering a variety of exercises, demonstrated how to improve riding skills and handling horses, and different ways to remedy frequent problems with horses.

At one point during the eight-hour clinic, which began at 9 a.m., Leathers took a horse that had been recently halter broken and demonstrated how to get from that point to riding.

“It was pretty awesome to see,” Alphin said.

Among some of the other things, Leathers directed riders participating in the clinic on how to verbally command the horse to do what they wanted.

“He showed how to have better control of them,” Alphin said. “And how to get them used to listening to our commands. Most riders just sit. He showed us how to move our body and use our feet to have them looking for a cue.”

Although attendance was not as high as expected, which Alphin attributed to the weather, those who came participated in the clinic and heard a Sunday morning message from Leathers and his wife Louise the next day.

Alphin said one of the highlights of the weekend was the Sunday morning service.

“It was a really good service and I think it was something a lot of people enjoyed,” he said.

Alphin said he is looking into making the horse clinic an annual event and even considering adding another clinic that deals mainly with quarterhorses.

For more information on the Circle C Cowboy Church or future horse clinics and other events, the church can be reached at (903) 363-6092.

Staff Writer Michele Marcotte can be reached via e-mail at schools@hendersondailynews.com.