By Allison Armstrong Rehnborg

Lifelong cutting horse enthusiast Ryan Howell of Appling, Georgia, knows what it takes to make a great cutting horse. As a second-generation cutter, Howell has spent his life working in the world of cutters, including working for such trainers as Clint Allen of Clint Allen Cutting Horses in Weatherford, Texas, and Wes and Lindy Ashlock of WLA Performance Horses in Abilene, Texas. In fact, it was during his time working for Wes and Lindy Ashlock that Howell first encountered Draw It Out products, which have become a staple in his own barn.

“When my wife, Kalyn, and I worked in Texas for Lindy and Wes Ashlock, they were using Draw It Out’s Horse Liniment Concentrate in their barn,” Howell recalled. “I saw a big effect from that product while working with those horses and seeing the difference it made. I knew as soon as we went out on our own that I wanted to make sure we stayed stocked up on Draw It Out for ourselves. My wife and I were both taking care of those horses. We saw firsthand how much better the horses felt when we were using that product.”

Now a professional cutting horse trainer and competitor, Howell started his own business, Ryan Howell Cutting Horses, in Appling, Georgia, in 2018. Along with his wife, Kalyn Howell, who competes as a non-pro, Howell has been working hard to make a name for himself in the industry he loves. The Howells specialize in training two-year-olds, three-year-olds and aged horses for National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) competitions.

Typically small, agile and compact, cutting horses are among some of the most gifted athletes in the equine competition world. During a cutting, horse and rider work together to cut one cow from a small herd and the horse often makes sudden stops and turns as well as quick bursts of speed in its efforts to keep the cow separated from its herd mates.

“There’s a lot of demand on the horse’s hind end during cutting,” Howell said. “You can get issues in the hocks, stifles, suspensory ligaments and hamstrings. You have to take good care of your horse’s body because the sport is so physically demanding, including the stops and having to turn over on themselves. Some of them stay sounder than others depending on the way the horses are built. But they can get sore and tender anywhere because the whole body can be under quite a bit of strain. So that’s why you need a good product to help these horses feeling the best they can.”

In addition to using the Draw It Out Liniment Concentrate as a full body spray, the Howells often use the Draw It Out Horse Liniment Gel on their horses’ legs in combination with boots or wraps to help prolong contact. As a high potency gel formula, the Gel is an odorless, colorless, no-mess alternative to other products on the market. By rubbing with the grain of the hair, owners and handlers can ensure the deep-penetrating gel stays in place on the horse’s leg. Like other Draw It Out products, there’s no need for owners to be concerned about getting the product on their own skin – it is 100% safe for humans and animals alike, even if an animal accidentally ingests the product.

“The Gel is our go-to,” Howell said. “We have a lot of success using it on legs and covering it with standing wraps or Back On Track boots. We’ll also spray our horses’ whole bodies down with the Concentrate to help keep them feeling good.”

The Howells also use MasterMudd EquiBrace Horse Poultice on their horses’ legs to prevent the horses from stocking up the night before a show.

“Especially when we’re traveling with our horses, we like to put the Mudd on and it seems to be working well,” Howell said. “Some horses are prone to stocking up on the trailer or in stalls at the show, and we’ll use the Mudd at night to help keep any swelling or inflammation down and keep their legs tight.”

Ryan Howell Cutting Horses became an official member of #TeamDiO in 2019, and Ryan and Kalyn are proud to continue using Draw It Out products in their barn as part of their horse care routine.

“From the time I've been in the business, I think the the simplicity and effectiveness of Draw It Out is unmatched by other products,” Howell said. “It's easy to use. It has great results. And that’s why we like

to use it in our barn.”