![3D"Trib](3D"http://www.pittsburghlive.com/images/network/networkbar_ttm_logo.g=){kind=logo} |
||||||||
|
|
|
Contact=20 Us |
| VND=20
Home | News&nb=
sp; | |
|
![3D"Larger](3D"http://pittsburghlive.com/images/larger_text.gif") Larger=20
Text Woman focuses on horse training
VALLEY = NEWS=20 DISPATCH Sunday, February 25,=20 2007 Dana Ritchey Muth's husband, =
Ray,=20
jokingly refers to her training approach with her new horse as =
"horse=20
whispering."=20
Muth of Jefferson Township is teaching Felix, a 2-year-old,=20 auburn-colored stud colt, in reining.=20 Reining is a style of western riding that requires the horse to = go=20 through a series of tight spins, wide circles, smooth direction = changes=20 and quick stops.=20 Now that she's had three children, Veronica, 5; Gracie, 4; and = Trevor,=20 2 1/2, Muth is ready to devote more time to training horses in = reining, a=20 discipline that may become the next Olympic equestrian event at = the 2012=20 London games.=20 Muth and Felix have their sights set on a more imminent = competition:=20 the 2008 National Reining Horse Association Futurity. The = Futurity, with=20 its $125,000 prize, is reserved for 3-year-old horses. Muth likens = it in=20 importance to the Kentucky Derby.=20 Muth participated in the Futurity as an amateur in 1987 and = since has=20 worked with many reining horses, including a stint in Italy in the = early=20 1990s. She took time off to start her family -- she can't ride = when she's=20 pregnant -- but she's ready to return to the ring.=20 She said she could begin competing with Felix as soon as this = summer,=20 if the colt is ready. She also is anticipating training another = horse,=20 which is expected to be born this April.=20 Although Muth, 38, has been accustomed to reining for more than = 20=20 years, it's brand new to Felix.=20 The colt arrived at the Muths' Jefferson Township barn in = December and=20 Muth slowly is getting him accustomed to her.=20 "He wasn't wild, but he's sort of like a young kid," she said.=20 She started simple -- grooming him, lifting his feet, moving = saddles=20 and blankets around him.=20 "We're building a relationship," she said.=20 Even before Muth saddled Felix for the first time, she was = teaching him=20 to understand her voice and body language.=20 By late January, Muth had been on Felix's back almost a dozen = times.=20 "He has a great attitude," she said. "He's well on track."=20 Already Felix is learning to roll back -- a maneuver that = requires him=20 to gracefully shift directions 180 degrees with little movement of = his=20 rear legs.=20 He's also close to making a 360-degree spin. A spin in reining=20 resembles a car in a snowy parking lot speeding through a = "doughnut" --=20 the horse plants its rear feet and spins four times using the = front legs.=20 When performed correctly, horse and rider are a blur.=20 The name reining is slightly misleading -- coaxing horses to = complete=20 the choreography requires more direction from the rider's legs and = body=20 than from pulling on the reins. Indeed, large movements with the = reins=20 knock off points in competition.=20 "He'll learn to move with me on his back without him wondering = what I'm=20 doing up there," Muth said.=20 Not only does Muth hope Felix learns from her, but she believes = adults=20 and children can learn from horses.=20 She uses Jack, a 10-year-old horse that is trained in reining, = in=20 summer camps for children. She also is developing a program using = horses=20 for corporate development retreats.=20 "Horses can really teach people so much," she said.=20
Liz Hayes can be reached at
Reproduction or reuse = prohibited without written consent from Have = a comment=20 about our website? |
|
![](3D"http://pittsburghlive.com/x/valleynewsdispatch/images/e.gif")
=20
![3DL/SNOW=20](3D"http://pittsburghlive.com/images/weather/19.GIF"=20)
![](3D"http://pittsburghlive.com/images/e.gif"=20)
![](3D"http://pittsburghlive.com/images/empty.gif"){kind=spacer}
![3D"Larger](3D"http://pittsburghlive.com/images/larger_text.gif"=20)
Larger text | |
| =09
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
=0A=
=0A=
=0A= =0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C77948.2EBE0600
Content-Type: image/gif
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Location: http://pittsburghlive.com/images/weather/19.GIF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------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C77948.2EBE0600
Content-Type: image/gif
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Location: http://pittsburghlive.com/images/e.gif
R0lGODlhAQABAID/AMDAwAAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==
------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C77948.2EBE0600
Content-Type: image/gif
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Location: http://pittsburghlive.com/images/larger_text.gif
R0lGODlhGAALAMQAAP///7+/v83NzYCAgAAAAL29vTg4OEBAQM/Pz+bm5t7e3pycnGBgYJOTk2pq
avf391BQUO/v73Z2dt/f36ysrIKCgsXFxXBwcLS0tJubm4ODg9ra2p+fnwAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAA
AAAALAAAAAAYAAsAAAVYICCOZGmeaKqeyMG4x7WaARQQQ7tikqM5AATiNgBwTJlGowJYJAwCyYiI
EhQKFkACAN2KqKgrCUoCn8Qj8hSXolAeIoFhMYoMCJAJSqGAAzYCAnUBhHojIQA7
------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C77948.2EBE0600
Content-Type: image/gif
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Location: http://pittsburghlive.com/images/smaller_text.gif
R0lGODlhGAALAMQAAP///97e3r29vXp6es3NzTg4OLS0tJycnL+/v4CAgEBAQNra2u7u7ubm5u/v
7/f394+Pj6SkpM/Pz1BQUHZ2dsHBwTAwMIKCgqysrJubm5+fnwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAA
AAAALAAAAAAYAAsAAAVUICCOZGmeaGoyQduqqJBhg3HBp8AIQ2AAhoOQgBPxAiKKoVA5ABJQROoo
ahAKgAZgooAkpr3RlaSQgpGi8aicekQGgtFyIXJYNG3XaEGgAxwIEiUhADs=
------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C77948.2EBE0600
Content-Type: image/gif
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Location: http://pittsburghlive.com/images/empty.gif
R0lGODlhAQABAID/AMDAwAAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==
------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C77948.2EBE0600
Content-Type: image/jpeg
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Location: http://pittsburghlive.com/photos/2007-02-27/0225Muth-b.jpg
/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEASABIAAD/4RSuRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgADAEOAAIAAAB+AAAAngEPAAIA
AAASAAABHAEQAAIAAAAKAAABLgESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUAAAABAAABOAEbAAUAAAABAAABQAEo
AAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAdAAABSAEyAAIAAAAUAAABZQE7AAIAAAANAAABeQITAAMAAAABAAIA
AIdpAAQAAAABAAABiAAABDBTVEQgTXV0aCBQcm9nIDEgMjUgLSBQUk9HUkVTUyAtIERhbmEgTXV0
aCAtIGVudmlyb21lbnRhbCBvZiBzYWRkbGluZyB1cCBoZXIgaG9yc2UgLSAoU3RldmVuIERpZXR6
LCBjb250cmlidXRpbmcgcGhvdG9ncmFwaGVyKQBOSUtPTiBDT1JQT1JBVElPTgBOSUtPTiBEMkgA
AAAASAAAAAEAAABIAAAAAUFkb2JlIFBob3Rvc2hvcCBDUyBNYWNpbnRvc2gAMjAwNzowMjoyNyAx
MzozNTo1MwBTdGV2ZW4gRGlldHoAAAAAKIKaAAUAAAABAAADboKdAAUAAAABAAADdogiAAMAAAAB
AAEAAIgnAAMAAAABAfQAAJAAAAcAAAAEMDIyMZADAAIAAAAUAAADfpAEAAIAAAAUAAADkpEBAAcA
AAAEAQIDAJECAAUAAAABAAADppIEAAoAAAABAAADrpIFAAUAAAABAAADtpIHAAMAAAABAAUAAJII
AAMAAAABAAAAAJIJAAMAAAABAAAAAJIKAAUAAAABAAADvpKGAAcAAAAsAAADxpKQAAIAAAADODgA
AJKRAAIAAAADODgAAJKSAAIAAAADODgAAKAAAAcAAAAEMDEwMKABAAMAAAABAAEAAKACAAQAAAAB
AAAAlqADAAQAAAABAAAAbqAEAAIAAAANAAAD8qAFAAQAAAABAAAEEKIXAAMAAAABAAIAAKMAAAcA
AAABAwAAAKMBAAcAAAABAQAAAKMCAAcAAAAIAAAD/6QBAAMAAAABAAAAAKQCAAMAAAABAAEAAKQD
AAMAAAABAAAAAKQEAAUAAAABAAAEB6QFAAMAAAABABkAAKQGAAMAAAABAAAAAKQHAAMAAAABAAAA
AKQIAAMAAAABAAAAAKQJAAMAAAABAAAAAKQKAAMAAAABAAAAAKQMAAMAAAABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK
AAAD6AAAAC0AAAAKMjAwNzowMToyNSAxNDoxMjoxOAAyMDA3OjAxOjI1IDE0OjEyOjE4AAAAAAQA
AAABAAAAAAAAAAYAAAAeAAAACgAAAKoAAAAKQVNDSUkAAAAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg
ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAAAAIAAgECAAEAAAABAAAAAQAAAgABAAIAAAAEUjk4
AAACAAcAAAAEMDEwMAAAAAAAAAAGAQMAAwAAAAEABgAAARoABQAAAAEAAAR+ARsABQAAAAEAAASG
ASgAAwAAAAEAAgAAAgEABAAAAAEAAASOAgIABAAAAAEAABAYAAAAAAAAAEgAAAABAAAASAAAAAH/
2P/gABBKRklGAAECAQBIAEgAAP/tAAxBZG9iZV9DTQAB/+4ADkFkb2JlAGSAAAAAAf/bAIQADAgI
CAkIDAkJDBELCgsRFQ8MDA8VGBMTFRMTGBEMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwM
DAwMDAENCwsNDg0QDg4QFA4ODhQUDg4ODhQRDAwMDAwREQwMDAwMDBEMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwM
DAwMDAwMDAwMDAwM/8AAEQgAbgCWAwEiAAIRAQMRAf/dAAQACv/EAT8AAAEFAQEBAQEBAAAAAAAA
AAMAAQIEBQYHCAkKCwEAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAQACAwQFBgcICQoLEAABBAEDAgQCBQcGCAUD
DDMBAAIRAwQhEjEFQVFhEyJxgTIGFJGhsUIjJBVSwWIzNHKC0UMHJZJT8OHxY3M1FqKygyZEk1Rk
RcKjdDYX0lXiZfKzhMPTdePzRieUpIW0lcTU5PSltcXV5fVWZnaGlqa2xtbm9jdHV2d3h5ent8fX
5/cRAAICAQIEBAMEBQYHBwYFNQEAAhEDITESBEFRYXEiEwUygZEUobFCI8FS0fAzJGLhcoKSQ1MV
Y3M08SUGFqKygwcmNcLSRJNUoxdkRV=0A=
Images and text copyright © 2007 by The Tribune-Review =
Publishing Co. |
![](3D"http://www.pittsburghlive.com/images/pghlive_redesign/pittsburghli=)
![](3D"/images/weather/Saturday.gif")
![](3D"/images/weather/19p.gif")
![](3D"/images/weather/Sunday.gif")
![](3D"/images/weather/Monday.gif")
![](3D"/images/pghlive_redesign/currenttraffic.gif")
![](3D"/images/pghlive_redesign/traffic/congestion.gif")
![3D"RSS](3D"/images/pghlive_redesign/rss_feed.gif")
![3D"Headlines](3D"/images/pghlive_redesign/cellphone_icon.gif"){kind=icon}
![3D"E-mail](3D"/images/pghlive_redesign/newsletters_icon.gif"){kind=icon}
![3D"3C](3D"/images/pghlive_redesign/classifiedmarketplace.gif")
![](3D"http://del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif")
![](3D"/images/pghlive_frontpage/penscrosby.jpg")
![](3D"/images/pghlive_redesign/icons/calendar_view_month.png"){kind=icon}
![](3D"/images/pghlive_redesign/icons/add.png"){kind=icon}
![3D"Pittsburgh](3D"/pages/helios/events/images/rss2.gif")
![3D"Pittsburgh](3D"/pages/helios/events/images/mobilebutton.gif")
![3D"Pittsburgh](3D"/pages/helios/events/images/hot.gif")
![](3D"/images/pghlive_frontpage/pirates_zachduke.jpg")
![](3D"/images/pghlive_frontpage/grindhouse.jpg")
![3D"Trib](3D"/images/pghlive_redesign/ttm_button.gif")