<b>By ANN ALLEN<br>
Indiana Correspondent</b></p><p>

AKRON, Ind. — “Our club is strictly function over fashion,” Nancee Ward said in explaining the purpose of the newly organized Indiana Ranch Horse Assoc. (IRHA).<br>
And that simplicity is what the Akron horse-raiser likes about IRHA. “It’s all about fun – not glitz and glitter,” she said. “It doesn’t require a big outlay for clothes, saddles or horses.”<br>
Formed in 2007 as an affiliate of the American Ranch Horse Assoc., IRHA promotes the breeding, raising, training and practical use of ranch- and stock-type horses. These can include Quarter Horse, Paints and Appaloosas. According to John Spencer, a professional trainer from Logansport, the popularity of the ranch horse is growing.<br>
“The club presents an opportunity to show off our horse’s talent and helps promote the true, all-around horse,” he said. “The stock horse was bred for versatility and, instead of restricting them to one event, people are realizing it’s more fun and challenging to compete in a variety of events with one horse.<br>
“The focus is on the horse’s ability, but riders should do their part to improve their performance, as well.”<br>
Ward clarified that mission by adding, “The horse needs to be shown as naturally as possible. That means no hair or foot polish. Riders must dress the part – long-sleeved shirts and blue jeans. Working western tack is used; silver is prohibited.”
“We don’t want any fancy outfits. Horses and riders should look and perform as if they were working on a ranch.”<br>
And work, they do. Classes include conformation, ranch riding, showmanship, cutting, reining, roping, barrels, poles and team sorting. Cutting, a skill not normally used on Hoosier farms, fascinates Ward, who has ridden horses most of her life.
“In the Old West,” she explained, “cowboys relied on their horses to separate and move cattle away from the herd for branding, castration, slaughter or vaccination. Certain horses carried an innate ability for herding and cutting the cow on its own with little aid from its rider. This is called good ‘cow sense.’<br>
“Because of this ability, those horses were highly prized, sought after, carefully selected and bred.<br>
“The same holds true today and well-trained cutting horses possessing good cow sense are valuable assets to ranchers and breeders.”<br>
IRHA, based in nearby Claypool, had its first show last fall at Rochester.<br>
“It was the first show there that involved cutting,” Ward said.
The group plans four Indiana shows this year – May 17-18 at New Castle, a Sept. 20-21 event in Rochester and Oct. 25-26 and Dec. 6-7 shows at Cloverdale. In addition, the association plans to have a booth at the March Horse-O-Rama in Warsaw and at the April 4-6 Hoosier Horse Fair 6 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
A complete listing of cutting and reining clinics is available on IRHA’s website www.indianaranchhorse.com<br>
Instead of competing for money, riders vie for points that allow them to earn honor roll points. There are classes for people 18 and younger, an open class for riders trained professionally and amateur for riders 19 and older, but not trained professionally.
“It’s a perfect club to join for those who have little to no experience with horses, but have the interest,” Ward said.<br>
IRHA officers are Candy Colbert, president; Carolyn Mele, vice president; Nancy York, secretary; Jeff Colbert, treasurer, and Phillip Ward, charter representative. Nancee Ward helps put out the association’s newsletter and designed its webpage. New members are welcome.<br>
“We have a lot of activities for youth,” Nancee Ward said. “We offer youth scholarship awards.”
Anyone interested in joining can get information from the website or can e-mail Candy Colbert at indianaranch horse@earthlink.net
“There’s a lot of fellowship in IRHA,” Ward said. “Everyone is so willing to share their knowledge and have a good time. I’ve attended horse shows where no one knows anyone. At IRHA shows, no one ever met a stranger. I like that.”<br>