(Interviewer)
 Craig, could you please tell us about your background and what you do?

(Craig Johnson)
I grew up in the horse business. My father was a horse trainer and breeder, so I've actually been in the horse business all my life. I began professional training when I was 14 years old and have been training horses ever since.

(Interviewer)
What is your primary focus today?

(Craig Johnson)
Primarily, what we do is reining. We do a little bit of working cow horse and cutting for fun. But, our primary interest is the reining horse.

(Interviewer)
Before you started on the FORAGE FIRST program, you obviously were looking for something from a nutritional program. What were the things you expected from a nutrition program, and what caused you to change?

(Craig Johnson)
Nutrition is extremely important to me, because the high level of competition that we're in today demands that our horses be in peak condition, both mentally and physically. It's tough out there. What I was looking for was something that could make my horses have an attractive appearance in the pen. They need to have a good hair coat and color. And, they need to have good flesh and look like they're in good health. You know how important appearance is. I also wanted a mental edge. The mental edge I was looking for was not what I would look for if I were training racehorses. I don't want them high. I want them to be able to recover from a daily training session, to be able to come back and do it again tomorrow, yet with some sanity. I didn't want my horses being high on the grain they were fed. That, plus the added benefit of the NATURAL GLO is that I don't concern myself too much with colic and digestion problems with my horses.

(Interviewer)
What was your previous nutritional program like?

(Craig Johnson)
I grew up in Iowa so, so we fed a bucket full of feed. It's just a standard Iowa feeding program, just throw them a bucket full of oats, corn, and lots of hay. It worked well at that time, given that we weren't nutritionists, and we didn't know much about it. It was the way Grandpa did it, the way Dad did it, so it was the way I did it. Now, in some of the nutrition studies in recent years, they've found that less grain is better for horses than the buckets we used to carry to them years ago.

(Interviewer)
When you were carrying a lot of grain to the horses, did you have a concern about colic, founder or any of the digestive upsets typically associated with high-grain feeding?

(Craig Johnson)
Yeah, there was concern for that. I can't say we ever had a real big problem with it, but it was something that concerned us. The horses at my Dad's place were accustomed to that amount of grain. It was not like taking one that never had grain and throwing him a bucket full. We would feed them 10-12 lb of grain a day. That is a lot of grain compared to what we're doing now.

(Interviewer)
Can you describe the program you use now, starting with your forage? How you are able to ensure that you're starting with a good foundation of forage.

(Craig Johnson)
Forage is the basis to a good feeding program. We feed a combination of Bermuda grass hay and good alfalfa hay. We feed quite a bit of Bermuda grass hay in the morning, so they have something to eat all day. Being forage animals, if they were kicked out in the pasture, they'd eat all day on the grass. So, I give them enough grass hay that they can basically graze, even though they're in a stall all day. We throw them a good bit of alfalfa in the evening. That gives me some benefit as far as energy and hair coats and it's highly digestible. We feed a total of about 20 lb of hay per day. Then we feed probably 4-6 lbs. of feed per day, depending on whether we're maintaining a horse or trying to put a little weight on one. We feed a mixture of grain with NATURAL GLO stabilized rice bran in it.

(Interviewer)
Are you using GROSTRONG Minerals? And, if so, how do you incorporate them?

(Craig Johnson)
We use the QuadBLOCK Minerals. I find the Minerals put the finishing touch to the whole feeding program because of what's in them. We break them up and put one quarter in each feeder in the stalls, and everybody eats as they see fit. When the horses feel like they need more Minerals, they go ahead and eat them. The new horses that come in go through them pretty quickly. After they've been on them a while, they slow down their consumption rate. There's one in front of them all the time, and they eat as they feel like it's necessary.

(Interviewer)
When you were feeding 10-12 lb of grain per day, you had a comfort level with that amount of grain. How did you come to grips with the FORAGE FIRST program and half or less grain than you were feeding before?

(Craig Johnson)
That was a leap of faith. The person that got me started on the program said that was the way to do it, because of the recommendations from the company. We went with the recommended feeding rate, which was a leap of faith. It was something I certainly was not accustomed to. I told him I would give it 30 days, and if I saw anyone loosing weight, then we were going to have to make some adjustments. After 30 days on less grain, I saw a lot of horses gaining weight. It was an interesting thing to see.

(Interviewer)
One of the things you mentioned earlier was not only making the horse look better and able to handle the performance challenges better, but also to have the right mental attitude. That seems to be a very important thing. Can you speak to that issue again?

(Craig Johnson)
The mental attitude for what we do in the reining, working cow horse and cutting is real important. Horses need to have the ability to mentally focus and concentrate on what's happening and accept the training given to them. The big part of what we do is the young horses, futurity horses, derby horses, etc. You don't want to go over yesterday's lesson a whole lot with them. It seems like horses that are fed too much grain are too high to concentrate. You spend so much time loping them down before you can teach anything, that by the time you get them loped down they are fatigued to the point where they won't learn anything. This has been a real benefit to me when I can just step out, trot them around a little, and they are ready to learn something. I can spend my entire ride, whether that ride is 30 minutes or an hour, addressing some of the training problems I have without having to lope the horse down to the point where he's not running off.

(Interviewer)
That seems to be a common observation of the people who are very knowledgeable in training. It saves them a lot of time, it saves a lot of wear and tear on the horse, and they get a lot more done. Your observations fit right in with a number of other trainers who have been on the program for a number of months.

(Craig Johnson)
In a round about way, it also helps with soundness. When I don't have to spend all that time loping, obviously that's going to be better for the horse. I feel like I'm putting fewer miles on the horse, but getting more done.

(Interviewer)
I appreciate your thoughts in that regard. Let's turn to muscling or body condition. How do your horses handle the rigors of training and/or hauling since you've been on the program?

(Craig Johnson)
We haul to quite a few shows throughout the year - mostly futurities. Some of the bigger events we go to are out east, like in Ohio and New Jersey. We just returned from New Jersey. The horses handled the trip really well. Since we've been on this program, we haven't had any problems with the horses getting drawn up and having to recover from a trip like that. We get there, and the next day, they're ready to go ahead and be loped around to get ready for the event. I feel that this program has helped the horses, because their muscles are in a nice, relaxed state, and they are ready to go on.

(Interviewer)
Some of the people we have visited with indicate that they have noticed the difference in as little as three weeks after they start on the program. Others have indicated that, while they saw some changes in hair coat in three weeks, as much as 60-90 days was necessary for them to see the full benefit in muscle development and weight gain or have a horse filled out and looking fit all the time.

(Craig Johnson)
A 30-60 day time frame is pretty accurate in my experience. I noticed, after 30 days, that the horses on less grain were actually gaining weight. We had to cut them back from the original recommendation. The mental benefit I got from the horses was more of a gradual thing over a period of time. In the course of a month, the horses were maintaining their sanity and coming out quiet. I didn’t need to lope them anywhere near as much. That was a gradual thing, where one day, it just kind of occurred to me that they were acting pretty nice, and they have been ever since.

(Interviewer)
Where are you located in Texas?

(Craig Johnson)
Gainesville, Texas.

(Interviewer)
Have you been out working the horses today?

(Craig Johnson)
Yes we have, and it's hot.

(Interviewer)
What kind of temperature do you have there today?

(Craig Johnson)
It's 104° today.

(Interviewer)
You've worked horses in that temperature today?

(Craig Johnson)
Yes, I have.

(Interviewer)
Do they have any trouble hanging with you in that kind of heat?

(Craig Johnson)
Before I was on this feeding program, I couldn't train in heat like this. What allows me to be able to do that now is that I don't have to spend all that loping time I was talking about earlier. If you need to gallop one down in this heat very much, it doesn't give you very much time left to work on the stops and the spins and the maneuvers we need to deal with in the training program. With the program I have now, we just loosen them, stretch them a little with trotting exercises and a few little drills and get to work. I don't have all that wasted energy in the heat spent trying to just gallop them down. I can get some pretty good training done in this heat without having to worry about them.

(Interviewer)
That's fantastic. Last year I know was a very, very good year for you on the circuit. Could you share with us some of the things that happened for you?

(Craig Johnson)
We've been real fortunate for a number of years. We've had some great horses and some super customers that have sent nice horses to us. In the last year or two, we've had several reining futurity finalists, derby finalists and world champions with not only Quarter Horses, but the Paint horses as well. Just a couple months ago, we were in the USET finals in Gladstone, New Jersey. I was a bronze medallist in the Cosequin USET Nation's Cup reining event. Also, the horse I showed, Sailing Smart, won a gold medal representing the US in the team competition and a silver individual medal. We had a real good show.

(Interviewer)
Is this year starting off as stout as last year was for you?

(Craig Johnson)
It is. Actually, this year, we're ahead as far as money won compared to the same point last year.

(Interviewer)
Congratulations! That is fantastic. We're so proud to have you as one of our ambassadors.

(Craig Johnson)
Thank you very much.

(Interviewer)
I have one question regarding hoof/foot condition. Can you say anything about any differences you might have noticed in your horses’ feet?

(Craig Johnson)
The feet are the concern of my horse shoer. I pay close attention to what he tells me the horses need or what their feet look like. This year, we're having quite a bit of dry weather. We've gone a couple of months without any rain. It's been in the 100's. The ground is dry, and that pulls a lot of moisture out of the feet. We need to watch for dry feet. However, my shoer can even notice a difference in the foot growth. He said their feet are growing very well. A lot of time, he'll be at other barns where the feet just aren't growing very well, and they're getting really shelly and brittle. He said our horses’ feet are in great shape. We always have plenty of foot growth between shoeings, so he can re-set the shoes into new hoof. The shoes stay on better that way. He's pretty excited about the effects he’s seen from the FORAGE FIRST feeding program.

(Interviewer)
Your observations parallel those of Mike Flarida, another top reining trainer and FORAGE FIRST Ambassador. Mike pointed out that the farrier either comes in more frequently or he trims off more when he comes. He very seldom has a problem with shoe loss, because there is so much more and better hoof to deal with.

(Craig Johnson)
It's certainly more noticeable, especially when I get a different horse in the barn that has come from somewhere else, and they don't have the kind of feet my horses do. Over a period of time, they eventually come around. It's something I take for granted until I do get one of the horses in the barn that came from somewhere else. You can certainly see the difference.

(Interviewer)
I'm going to switch gears on the next question and ask about cost per horse per day. A lot of people look at the price per bag of feed instead of the total daily cost per horse. With NATURAL GLO at $28 per bag or the GROSTRONG Minerals at $17 per block or bag, they get concerned about that as opposed to the total cost per horse per day. NATURAL GLO costs about 70 cents/lb or $0.35-1.05 per day and GROSTRONG Minerals are 8-10 cents per horse daily. How have you looked at that, and what would you suggest to somebody who's evaluating the program.

(Craig Johnson)
My cost per day is right in line with what it was before. It could even be a little less. Price per bag seems to be a concern with a lot of people. It was for me, too, because I was accustomed to the cheaper cost of the oats and corn. Now, I've found that, by feeding less grain now with this program, I have cut my actual feeding cost even though the cost per bag is more. Actually, with the additional benefits I'm getting, if it cost more, I would still be interested. It certainly isn't costing me any more to feed, and in most cases, it costs me less now.

(Interviewer)
That's a challenge we have, helping people discover that NATURAL GLO and GROSTRONG Minerals are really for the average horse. Sometimes they think they’re just for the high performance horse or a horse that needs weight, but actually with the cost effectiveness of this program, it's perfect for every horse in the barn.

(Craig Johnson)
It really is. In fact I had a mare that came about two and a half or three months ago from California for a tune-up. The people came yesterday to pick her up with a 2-horse trailer. She said "Holy cow, what have you been feeding her in the last two months?" I said "Why?" She said, "I'm not sure she's going to fit on my 2-horse trailer that I brought her out with." She had gained that much weight. We saw her every day and hadn't really noticed what was happening. Since she had not seen the horse in almost 3 months, she was quite impressed. She even questioned whether we had ridden the mare. She had obviously been ridden, had put on weight and was in beautiful condition when she went home.

(Interviewer)
As horses build muscle and become more fit, they do gain some weight as well. It says a lot when you're riding her in temperatures of 100 degrees or more and feeding only 4 lbs. of feed and she's putting on that kind of weight. That's awesome.

(Craig Johnson)
It is. The owner was impressed. She was going home to find your feed for herself.

(Interviewer)
As far as all time earnings in reining, you are consistently in the top 5. What is your situation today, and what is your goal for this year?

(Craig Johnson)
I'm number 3 on the all-time earning list right now. Obviously my goal is to move up. I also want to earn over $1 million dollars, which, given good horses, keeping my fingers crossed and Lord willing I’m going to do. There's a possibility of making it this year. If not, I'll get it as soon as I can. I've won over $800,000 already, so, with the earning potential we have nowadays in reining and the kind of horses I'm lucky enough to ride, I think I'll be able to obtain that goal in the near future.

(Interviewer)
Good trainers and good horse people attract good horses, so it speaks highly of your capability, Craig.

(Craig Johnson)
Thank you.

(Interviewer)
Once again, our appreciation for the time you've taken out of your very busy day. We look forward to seeing you on the road and at the shows. You can count on us being on the sidelines cheering for the $1 million earnings title by the end of this year.

(Craig Johnson)
I appreciate that. I'd like to mention that reining, as you well know, is getting to be one of the hottest sports in the country if not the hottest sport in the world. With the international competitions we have coming up in the future, there's a strong possibility and probability of reining being in the Olympics soon. Reining is going to be quite an event.

(Interviewer)
Thanks again, Craig. It's been a delight. Once again, please accept our sincere appreciation for the time out of your busy day.

(Craig Johnson)
You're welcome.