Rusty Dare
Performance Horses
Professional Trainer and Horseman Rusty Dare...
The DARE® Cribbing Collar
Click on the collar to read a review in The Western Horseman. For more information on the collar refer to the write up below Rusty's BIO.
Biography...
Rusty grew up in Quinton, NJ along with his two brothers, Rocky & Randy, and his parents Jack & Laird Dare.
It was on their families 68 acre farm, known as Breezy Knoll, that the Dare brothers began their show and training careers. Rusty began showing as a youth competitor in AQHA winning a multitude of all around championship titles at such major events as the AQHA Congress.
It was during this time that he discovered his passion for reining. After High School Rusty spent two and a half years with the prominent reining horse trainer Bill Horn before venturing out on his own.
Rusty then moved to Hilliard, Ohio where he settled down and started his own training facility. His focus shifted to Western Pleasure where he again excelled in the show pen having earned such titles as NSBA Rider of the Year. While he enjoyed showing and training pleasure horses his heart remained in reining.
A NRHA accredited Judge and an AQHA restricted Reining Judge until 2017 when Rusty decided to stop judging due to too many conflicts with his son and brother showing at the highest levels of NRHA. This limited him to smaller or non pro events and would not allow him to judge the NRHA Futurity or Derby open levels.
2009 brought an opportunity for Rusty to move to Gainesville TX to be closer to his son, Trevor Dare, who was a horse trainer at Todd Crawford's in Blanchard, OK at the time. In addition to the close proximity to Trevor it also allowed Rusty to get back into training reining horses full time.
Rusty's first year back in reining proved to be a success with his winning the 2010 Honor Roll title for High Point Reining horse of the year with Leitachic, a son of Smart Chic Olena and out of Colonelita, a daughter of Colonel Freckles, by putting over 100 AQHA points on the horse with limited shows.
In 2015 Rusty purchased his own facility in Gainesville, TX and continues to train and show horses in reining as well as Ranch Horse riding. And of course he still has a few pleasure horses in training from time to time.
Here are just a few of Rusty's accomplishments:
Former NRHA Judge
Former AQHA Judge
NRHA Futurity Judge (USA & Italy)
All American Quarter Horse Congress Champion
AQHA All Around High Point Rider
NRHA Futurity Finalist
AQHA World Championship Show Open Reining Finalist (3rd)
AQHA Congress Reining Champion
NSBA High Point Rider 1985
NSBA World Show 2017 Ranch Rail Bronze Champion
AQHA World Championship Show 2017 Open Jr L3 Ranch Riding Bronze Champion
AQHA World Championship Show 2017 Open Jr L2 Reining Finalist
APHA 2018 Open Ranch Reining World Champion
APHA 2018 Open Ranch Riding Reserve World Champion
The DARE® Cribbing Collar
The overall focus for the design of this collar is to prevent a horse from cribbing,(windsucking, not woodchewing) with as little discomfort to the horse as possible and also to alleviate hair loss and rubbing as much as possible.
The Dare® Cribbing Control Collar
USING THE DARE® CRIBBING CONTROL COLLAR
Patent No. 7,946,255
The overall focus for the design of this collar is to prevent a horse from cribbing,(windsucking, not woodchewing) with as little discomfort to the horse as possible and also to alleviate hair loss and rubbing as much as possible.
The Dare® Cribbing Control Collar has a totally leather encased, arched-top, rectangular-shaped piece at the bottom which fits between the jaw bones, laying parallel to the esophagus and larynx. This block extends both to the forward and rear of the crown strap so that the strap is fully reversible (there is no front or back). When the horse attempts to crib, the length of the block makes arching the neck in a cribbing position difficult and also applies upward pressure which makes the act of wind sucking uncomfortable. This puts the pressure where it is needed to control cribbing rather than on the horse's poll or brow.
The crown strap is made from quality leather that is extra-wide for ridigity as well as to disburse the pressure on the neck and poll which alleviates pressure points making the collar more comfortable for the horse. The crown strap fits behind the ears, usually several inches behind where the halter will sit. There is not a strap across the horse's brow. The Dare Collar features stainless steel roller buckles on both sides which allows the collar to be fastened from either side of the horse, creates maximum size adjustment (one size fits all) and alleviates a long tail hanging at one buckle. Additional holes or half-holes can be punched as needed for optimum fit.
As with any horse product, when placing the collar on the horse or when turning the horse out, use extreme care and common sense. Be aware that the collar will loosen when the horse drops its head to eat and drink. The Dare® Cribbing Control Collar is made to be durable, so it will be slightly stiff when new and will conform to your horse as it breaks in. Check and adjust the fit over time.
Before fastening the new collar, you may need to gently bend the strap (esp. if your horse is wide in the throatlatch area) so that the throat piece fits up into the throat area. The front of the block will fit between the jaw bones and the rear will rest against the neck. The collar should be fastened so that it is comfortably snug when the horse's neck is level or above as shown in the pictures. Start with light contact and tighten a hole at a time until effective. If the collar can be turned out of position without difficulty, tighten it as this will lessen rubbing and prevent your horse from turning the collar. The collar will loosen when the horse drops its head to eat or drink, so check the fit at the horse's normal cribbing position. After the collar breaks in and conforms to the horse, it may need to be tightened another hole. Every horse's determination to crib (wind suck), conformation and personality is unique so the tightness needed will vary widely between horses. Some very determined cribbers will need to have the collar tight while other cribbers are stopped with the collar rather loose.
We do not recommend oiling the Dare® Cribbing Control Collar, especially the throat piece, which might soften the leather corners and diminish the effectiveness of anti-cribbing block. If you feel you must oil to soften the leather, oil only the crown strap. The collar should be kept clean using a good quality saddle soap or a leather cleaner.
We guarantee the Dare Cribbing Control Collar against defects in materials and workmanship.
Rusty Dare, professional horseman and inventor of the DARE® Cribbing Control Collar, talks about the benefits of his latest training innovation, Dare® Soft-Hands Training Reins. Developed with Schutz Brothers, Inc., makers of world-renowned working, training and show tack since 1946."If you want the hands of top trainers, you need these reins!" says Rusty. The adjustable elastic helps the horse to gain confidence in the bit, allows the bit to work the way it was designed and teaches response to the bit rather than submission. Professionals can make better progress with difficult horses and amateurs learn the feel of a soft, slow hand with the aid of the Dare® Soft-Hands Training Reins. Available in 3 styles: Split, Roping and Romal at www.schutzbrothers.com and tack shops worldwide.
Here's a link to a video where Rusty talks about his reins.
The DARE® Soft-Hands Training Reins
