Valley Journal-Bruce

A Class Act

 

“You Go to My Heaaad,” Rod Stewart croons to you over the music intercom as you enter the spacious barn at The Park. The sweet smell of alfalfa wafts through the air, and handsome horses peek at you through their abundant forelocks as you pass.

 

These are Spanish and Portuguese Andalusians famous for their gorgeous manes and tails and kind dispositions.  Bruce Howard welcomes you into his cozy office with a fire burning in the fireplace because it’s been a cold spring, and the walls are covered with mementos of his long career in the show ring. He is trim and immaculate and ready to talk.

 

“I know that the United States Equestrian Federation recently awarded you the Norman K. Dunn Award for excellence in showing Andalusians and Lusitanos at halter,” I say, “so you have the title of Equestrian of Honor! Tell me about the other recent recognition.”

 

“The Board of Directors of the International Andalusian, Lusitano Horse Association sends out ballots for the title of Horseman of the Year and I was named Horseman of the Year for the second time,” answers Bruce. Certainly this is quite an honor, as this man who is now seventy years-old, was deeply involved in showing only Arabian horses for thirty-five of those years.

 

In 1985, Bruce worked with Greg Garrison’s Andalusians, in Thousand Oaks who had imported some very fine horses from Spain and Portugal. Looking back he expresses his appreciation to Mr. Garrison for some wonderful years “When I came to the Valley to work with Yale Freed’s Arabian horses, we created the Arabian Park,” he continues. “Then several Andalusian owners wanted to place their horses with me, and, gradually, I converted to training Andalusians and Lusitanos (the Portuguese relatives of the Andalusians).”

 

“I opened my own training business and was glad that I made the change from Arabians. I had not been happy with some of the methods that had come to be used to show Arabians at halter. But I can be proud of my own record with showing Arabians all those earlier years. In the show ring they had wanted to see them extremely animated but in reality, because of the training methods used, the horses were not just alert, they were actually terrified. Now steps have been taken to eliminate those practices.

 

“I believe that Andalusians are more naturally athletic than Arabians, other than when they gallop across the desert sands. These Spanish horses just naturally take to being saddle horses or driving horses so they are quite willing to be trained, and they’re easier to handle especially for beginners. When the tax shelter catastrophe hit the Arabian horse world in the ‘80s, there were only a few Andalusians around and the competition wasn’t so crazy.

 

Now, the usefulness and beauty of Andalusians is well recognized. You’ll notice how quiet it is in my barn,” he says with a smile. “There are no screaming stallions, yet there are twelve stallions in here. Andalusians are just more sedate and they learn and accept good manners.”

 

Any trainer faces challenges and among them is dealing with horse owners that want to micromanage the training process. “If you are paying good money to a reputable trainer,” says Bruce, “you need to trust his expertise. But today horse owners read lots of books and are often deeply interested.  When someone calls me to put their horse in training for the show ring, I require a ninety-day evaluation with the horse at my training facility. They are always quality horses because no one is going to put out that much money, ($50,000) per year plus all the show expenses for a “dog.” But at the end of ninety days I tell them honestly whether or not they have a horse with real show potential. I don’t want to embarrass them or myself with a poor horse.

 

“Sometimes a client wishes to just drive their horse. I have a Friesian in the barn now that I am teaching to drive. Some driving horses are not really top riding horses. But most horses will drive and ride well. I always start my young horses in harness because it doesn’t put as much strain on them. Right now, I have a two-year old Andalusian filly, owned by Hermine Brooks, that I think is going to be a super star. She is out of the black Karma mare that the late-Rand Brooks drove to two National Championships.

 

How do people get started in a career as a horse trainer?

“Well, I was born in Maine,” he goes on to say. “My father was in the military and we later moved to Belmont, California and all the kids in my neighborhood had horses. My route to and from school was right past a boarding stable, and every day I would visit with a big fat Palomino gelding out in the pasture. He was a retired police horse and one day I could resist it no longer and I climbed over the fence and onto his back. We had walked around the pasture for a few minutes, when the stable owner came running out and just gave me holy h----. But later, he said, ‘If you’re really interested in riding, you can do chores around here in return for some lessons.’ That started it and later, I begged my parents to buy me a horse of my own.”

 

“My first horse was a four-year-old Thoroughbred, right off the racetrack that they paid $125.00 for. He lived to be thirty-one-years-old and was probably the most re-trained horse in history; because every time I learned something new, I had to change what I had just taught him. That horse is responsible for keeping me in college because I had him with me at Cal Poly Pomona. I had never lived away from home before and was a bit homesick but I had no way of getting him home, so I had to stay.”

 

“My father once told me that in choosing a career, it should be something you love to do and then you’ll be a success. He was right. I love horses and working with people. It’s a good life.”

When you see Bruce in the show ring you are immediately impressed with his bearing and demeanor. He definitely has style. He exudes confidence and pride and the classy performance splashes over onto his horse and makes him took like a winner too.