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All horses are for sale including broodmares and stallions
updated 2/28/10
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Click on any Picture for a larger view All horses are for sale including broodmares and stallions updated 2/28/10
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Foundation - what is it? We consider foundation training to be the establishment of communication between human and horse. Horses have their own language. Humans have their own language. The key to successfully building a human-horse relationship is both being willing and sensitive enough to learn to understand the others language. One where each trusts and respects the other. We accomplish this while on the ground. It is our belief that in developing trust and respect in equal portions we develop a horse that is willing and able to learn. Further, as many popular and excellent trainers state, "why would you want to get on a horse when you can not handle them on the ground?" A neighbor explains riding a horse like driving a car: he asks, "did you take lessons to learn to drive your car?" the answer - "well yes." The neighbor continues, "so you are telling me that you took lessons to learn to drive an inanimate object - one that has no brain, but you are unwilling to learn how to handle a horse prior to climbing aboard a thinking being with a mind of its own?" Why should you be involved in your horses training? Stories abound of people who sent their horse to a trainer or purchased a championship level horse only to have a wreck on their hands within weeks of taking possession of their new pride and joy. This is because each individual's style, knowledge and attitude will affect and even change how horses react, understand and learn in response to individual styles. With the right ground foundation on the horse and the right attitude in the human the advancement of training from the ground to the horse's back is relatively easy. Another piece that needs to be noted is that advancing the horses training without advancing the human to the same level is what leads to frustration when the horse regresses to the human's level. However, it is important to remember that no matter the knowledge level of the horse or of the human both are never done learning. Chances are very high that a "horse problem" is a human problem; therefore, the human education and self-awareness needs to advance so that the horse-human relationship is benefited and most often the "problem" is corrected. Our horses are bred and developed so they want learn. Our challenge is finding humans who have the willingness and confidence to admit they too need to learn. We believe it is in the horse's - and owner's - best interest to allow the owner to create the finished product. The finished product is dependent on the human's willingness to learn and advance along with the horse. Learning can be done through trial and error - as long as the human realizes they will create problems or learning can occur with the help of an experienced horse (and preferably) people trainer. Because of our belief that the human factor is usually the problem factor, it is extremely difficult for us to work with those who know everything, are unwilling to listen and want the 'push-button' horse. I assure you I personally have been hurt more by 'old broke push button ranch horses' than by any of the green stock I have handled and ridden. Further, Don spent his youth retraining horses whose owners had created problems some of which were annoying and some of which were potentially life-threatening. On this page we would like to demonstrate what we expect from our horses. The work being done below is successful because of the foundation we develop in our foals at weaning. Once they understand the rules on the ground, we turn them back out to be horses and learn respect from their elders and other herd mates. In the pictures just below this, Don is jumping on this horse for the first time after the horse had been running in a 480 acre field with 20+ other horses. Crazy? Dangerous? Maybe. But because we have faith in our foundation and our breeding we do not feel starting a horse in this manner is as dangerous as stepping up on many an "old broke, bomb proof" horse. Too often horses sold as bomb proof kid horses have a glaring problem that only appears under a certain set of circumstances and that circumstance is NEVER at a good time for horse or human.
In the series of pictures above, Don demonstrates how each of our horses goes through training. Because we are firm believers that a horse should be trained and not forced, all of our horses start bareback with a halter and lead rope. Don 'crawls' all over the horse to familiarize it with human contact on different parts of its body. As can be seen in the above photos, this is done with no restraint and the horse is expected to stand calm and steady. A dismount may not always be perfect, so Don uses a slide and hang combination to insure the horse is stable in case of emergency.
In the series of pictures above, Don helps a girl gain confidence by sitting on Splash, being led and then relaxing enough to move around and scratch various parts of the horse. The horse pictured here is a special horse in that he is a wild caught mustang that belongs to a handicapped woman who, if she rides, is lifted onto the horse and 'falls' off when she is done.
The horse and rider pictured here are just getting acquainted. This woman purchased this Curly gelding to ride in parades and to be her pal during the off season. How to pick a trainer? We feel you should pay attention to the following things when selecting a trainer:
"A trainer" can be in person, through videos, through books or through television. Contact Information:
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