Arkansas cowboy Luke Scroggins might only be 7-years-old, but he’s already won more saddles than he can count on one hand. The youngster from Traskwood, Ark., is a true competitor who relies on his two equine partners to help him achieve his goals in the arena.
Luke is the son of Shawn and TK Scroggins and earlier this year, won all-around cowboy in the under 6 age group in the Southern Junior Rodeo Association (SJRA). He also won every event he was entered in, thanks to the help of his little pony Tucker and his 25-year-old gelding Nate.
“I got Nate from my uncle. He was put out to pasture because he was hurt,” Luke said. “But then we started giving him Vitalize® mineral and he started to feel better and became a better horse.”
Nate was a retired roping horse, and according to Shawn, had a bum shoulder. However, the old horse and young rider formed a special bond, so at 6-years-old, Luke started to rodeo on him. However, Shawn said they knew that the aged horse needed a little extra care. That is when they started feeding him Vitalize.
“Last November and December, he was running a 21-second barrel pattern. After a couple of months on the Vitalize, he cut his time down to 16 seconds. He’s also cut his time on the poles down by another five seconds. And the horse looks better than he looked before,” Shawn said.
Vitalize® is a line of equine supplements with the Amaferm® advantage to improve digestive health and gut integrity, keeping animals healthy and performing. Amaferm is a natural prebiotic that promotes intake and increases digestion and absorption.
Shawn said he can tell the Amaferm in the Vitalize is doing its job as the gelding has no teeth yet has increased his intake. He also has saved some money on his feed bill since he was able to convert from senior horse feed to the feed he feeds the rest of the barn.
“He’s a good horse. He takes good care of me; he watches over me. And I take care of him,” Luke said about Nate.
Luke said he likes to run poles the best, but he also plans to start team roping off Nate this year. In addition to rodeo, Luke also likes to play baseball. And if those activities don’t keep him busy enough, he’s already started his own bucking bull business with the help of his parents.
Shawn enjoys watching his son take care of the once-retired horse. Their bond is one-of-a-kind.
“With horses, age isn’t measured in years. It is measured in the heart of the horse,” Shawn said.
With a big heart taken care of by a young cowboy, Nate has a good life left ahead of him.
