How is it that your horses are so well trained?

Many people ask us this, when they come riding. They are often surprised at how well trained the horses are. The thing is, long before you come riding, we have been working with the horses. Most of our horses are actually born here at the ranch - we have selected the mare and the stallion, bred them, many times watching them be born, and caring for them from the moment their little legs make the wobbly attempt at standing up. They spend their first year just hanging out, getting visits from all of you when you come riding, learning from their mothers and the other horses how to be a horse. When they are about a year old they start to get a bit more formal training, though very gentle for that first year. They learn how to be haltered, led, and tied up (essential for safety - theirs and yours). They learn how to have a saddle on their back (not a natural thing for a horse, which assumes that something on its back is a threat until they learn otherwise), and a bit in their mouth. All of these things happen long before anyone ever gets on them to go for a ride. After a year of that work that is ‘on the ground’ they begin their formal training of how to be ridden, which usually lasts another year. So, by the time you come for a ride, there has been a lot of horsemanship that has gone into you having a safe, fun, and connected experience with your horse!