G & K Training Centre & Tack

09/08/2024

It's another chilly start to the day! Happy Sunday everyone!

09/05/2024

This one almost made me spit my coffee out when I read it! Happy Thursday 🤠

09/04/2024

The Grand Finale is getting close! We are proud to sponsor this event and cannot wait to see who will win the Continental Trophy saddles! Please join us at the Reach Huron Centre in Clinton, ON for the final Ontario Reining Horse Association show of 2024!

The Grand Finale is around the corner and with it comes our Futurity and Derby program!

Entries for the Futurity and Derby will be accepted UNTILL 4pm on Friday Sept 27th. (Note a $200 late entry fee is applicable)

Our 2nd anual draw party will follow the final horse to go on Friday (stay tuned for more exciting news on that!)

09/03/2024

We have always felt that when you are competing in the show pen, your mindset is an important part. Now that we are in full swing of the futurity season, with the bigger ones still to come, this might be worth the watch.

09/03/2024

Some kids dread today while other kids are so excited to be heading back to school. It's a beautiful sunny morning with that crisp air to start the new school year. We wish all the kids a happy and successful school year with lots of new friends and fun with old friends.

09/02/2024

Always something to fix or upgrade here but always grateful for our little piece of paradise ✨️ ❤️

08/31/2024

Sometimes you may need a little help with your horse. Sometimes you just need to know if you are on the right track. Sometimes you are having issues with your horse and you just can't figure it out. That is why we offer assessments. Assessments can be 30 days or 60 minutes, it all depends on what you are looking for and what you can afford. Quite simple really. We've helped a lot of horse owners with a simple assessment. Quite a while back we did an assessment for a young lady who was a friend of a client. This young lady didn't have the budget for training but she was struggling with her horse. Her friend contacted us and asked if Gary could meet with her and her horse. Absolutely. Sometimes it's an easy fix. At least in our minds. But, sometimes we get told things we don't want to hear. And this was exactly the case and this has lead to our name being dragged through the mud. And that's okay. Frustration can make us do many things. But if you want to learn and truly help your horse and your relationship with your horse you must meet with an open mind. Any coach and trainer will tell you that. It's not all sunshine and roses. But this case is surprising because there wasn't any huge issues other than 3 changes that needed to be made. First was the saddle. The saddle was a cheap saddle that pinched the horse and it was evident when watching his stride. Not only was his stride short but his face wasn't relaxed. The saddle also didn't fit the rider, her thighs were pressing against the pommel. This isn't good. But she bought the saddle from a "saddle fitter" who fit her horse and her budget. We demonstrated the difference in the horse by putting on a Continental saddle. Our intention was not to "sell" her the saddle it was merely to demonstrate the difference. She had been sold a saddle that was causing problems and they were only going to get worse. The next change we suggested was the bit. It wasn't changing to something severe or cruel, it was just making a simple change for a happier horse. The 3rd change was probably the most important. The trim job was horrible. This horse was whacking himself. The angles were wrong. She did the right thing by protecting his legs with boots but go one step further and correct the trimming job. Well...that was not a good thing to say. She trims her horse's feet. Over the course of these discussions and trying to demonstrate the positive changes and reinforcing that she had a very nice horse, things went south. Her mind closed. She got very angry and left. Of course, we apologized as it wasn't meant to offend. We thought she was here to get advice and guidance, which we offered. We harbour no ill feelings towards this young woman but obviously the "guidance" Gary offered was not acceptable. My bottom line here is when you are working with a professional and you seek their advice, you must enter the situation with an open mind. Maybe she was expecting some magical solutions and exercises. But really, nothing was needed other than a few simple corrections. Try a different saddle, doesn't have to be a Continental. Just get something that fits him. Change your bit. That's pretty simple and inexpensive especially when you have a wide assortment at home. Fix your horse's feet. Gary used to trim horses and shoe many years ago and he understands angles, etc. Just listen. Sometimes, when we enter into a situation with an open mind, we just may learn something. I know we learned something that day. Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

08/30/2024

Do you plan on attending the ORHA Grand Finale at the Reach Huron Centre in Clinton? Not only is this show the last show of the year for the ORHA but there will be some show specials being offered at our booth! 🤠 That's right! Come see us from September 26th to September 28th at the Reach Centre. Check out the Continental saddles we have in stock and ready to go OR design your own without paying any "custom" fees. 🤩 Wait...What?

08/29/2024

Who needs a new saddle? We have several in stock and ready to go OR you can design your own. The Continental C35 is available in the upgraded chestique colour with a brown nubuc seat, medium fenders, FQHB, 15.5 inch seat.

08/28/2024

This really needs no explanation. Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

08/20/2024

Just in case you needed a little incentive to keep pushing hard. Just in case you needed to be reminded that your goals are worth the sweat. Just in case you needed to see what is in that pot of gold at the ORHA Futurity....here you go! Now go ride! Practice hard and dream big. Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

08/16/2024

Good morning and Happy Friday! Look at this pretty girl strutting her stuff. Yep, this is the one and only Tennessee. Tennessee is the 4 yr old that came to us and hadn't been weaned and had become a real challenge at home. Circumstances happened. Life happened. Tennessee is a smart filly and decided she must be the one in charge. She was treating everyone...humans and horses, as though she were the leader. Since coming to us she has learned that no, she isn't the boss. And here is the funny thing....I think that she found a great sense of relief knowing she didn't have to be ready and on guard all the time. She seemed to exhale knowing Gary was in charge. But remember, she is smart. So she needs to learn, she needs to be challenged. Don't get me wrong, she will still "argue" but that's okay. We love a "strong" horse who is brave and not fearful. Stay the path, keep the course. Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

08/15/2024

Good morning, Jack! Jack is a dream to have around. He is quiet and kind. He will knicker quietly at feed time. Just loud enough for your to hear...just in case you forget he's there. Jack is trying to set some boundaries and I'm sure he has good reason. Jack doesn't want spurs touching his sides. However, having said that, Jack also doesn't want to just give a nice lead change either. Gary has been taking him back to pressure free riding. Move off the leg, give your hip. But no pressure. We don't need a snappy response, we just need a response without a kick out or a buck. So let's take it easy. Let's take it slow. Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

08/14/2024

What's the first thing you do when you get on your horse? I like to put them in a small circle, get them bending. I do it both ways. I like to get them flexing and making sure they are soft and connected to me before starting anything else. Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

08/13/2024

Back in stock and ready to go! Continental C86 Penni Gerardi has always been a favorite over the years. This beautiful design has a nice amount of tooling with eye catching conchos that is perfect for everyday use or sliding by in the dirt. The C86 has the flex tree and memory foam seat, FQHB (6 3/4" gullet), pre-turned fenders, brown nubuc seat, chestnut colour. (Saddle shown has a buffalo seat with chestique colour). Send us a pm or come out for a saddle fitting to our location just outside of Chatsworth, ON

08/12/2024

Today we would like to introduce Lyndsay from Reiners Ridge here in Ontario. Lyndsay is no stranger to the reining world and has been showing, training and coaching for many years. Lyndsay has a strong work ethic and wonderful coaching skills and has helped numerous riders achieve their goals. Guess what saddle Lyndsay prefers to not only show in but train in as well? You guessed it! A Continental. Thank you Lyndsay for your kind words and for trusting us to help you and your clients design the perfect saddle.
“I have been riding in Continental Reining Saddles for over ten years and always recommend Continental Saddles to my clients and friends because of their true, quality craftsmanship and comfort that lasts day in and day out.

Whether it’s for daily training or the show pen, Continental Saddles offers a wide variety of style and comfort that provides a custom-fit feel for every horse.”

⁃ Lyndsay Kloster, Reiners Ridge

08/10/2024

The countdown is on! Are your horses paid up into the ORHA Futurity? Who do you think will win the Continental saddles in the Open and Non pro divisions? At the Grand Finale the winner for the Green Reiner Draw will also be done and we can't wait to find out who it will be! Don't forget, we will also be drawing one name for a free stall! How cool is that! We are bring tons of prizes, saddles and other working tack. Drop by our booth at the Grand Finale and say hello, we'd love to see you!

Only one more week to enter the ORHA Futurity or Derby and avoid the late fee!

Check out this year's added money!

Go to Ontarioreining.com for the Entry Form today!

08/10/2024

Good morning and happy Saturday. It's an early start here this morning. Meet Jack. Isn't he beautiful 🤩 We are working on lead changes with this handsome fella. Jack says after a good workout there is nothing like a cool shower and some green grass 😉 Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

08/08/2024

I will probably write this post 10 times before I have it where I want it. Today I want to talk about saddle fitting and the “Saddle Fitters”. Where do I start? First and foremost, this is not meant to offend the “Professional Saddle Fitter” or discredit them. However, it just might do that and for that, I will apologize up front. In this world of gaining more knowledge and improving our skill set, we seem to have lost something. Saddle Fitters have become a key to purchasing tack. Just like anything, there are good ones and bad ones. But what makes them an “expert” or “Certified”. I have been fitting saddles on horses since I was 16 years old. Back then, you didn’t realize you were “fitting” the horse but you were. In my barn you will find 2 saddles. These 2 saddles fit all of the horses that have come through this facility over the past 20 years. Now that’s a lot of horses. Many of you knew Roy Ionson and bought tack from Roy at his store in Chesley, Ionson’s Saddlery. He also sold tack out of his garage in Acton, ON for many years before that. But I digress. Towards the end of Roy’s time he was having customers come in with a piece of wire. He would shake his head when he was told they needed a saddle to fit that wire. It was the shape of their horse’s back. First of all....Good for them for trying to get the best fit for their horse. Those are the people we love. They aren’t looking for the cheapest saddle they can find, they are looking for the best fit. We offer saddle fitting at our facility and we offered it at Roy’s store. We offered it for just those reasons. However, we are learning this is more important now than ever. Why? A saddle fitter is going to come to you and charge you for this service, then they are going to offer you a choice from their stock and tell you this is what fits your horse. And, rightly so. Where they make their money is selling you their tack, not telling you your saddle fits fine. Is this a thing? Yes it is and it has been brought to our attention several times now, which is what prompted this post. The horse we are going to use as an example was in our barn for several months for training last year. We rode her in an old Continental saddle which had FQHB (6 ¾ gullet). Since going home we will admit the mare has put on a ton of weight and she was a big girl to start with....an easy keeper. The owner contacted us in a bit of a panic. She has a Continental saddle that she absolutely loves that she purchased from Roy several years ago. It’s in mint condition and been well taken care of. When she took her mare home she asked us if this particular saddle would fit her mare. We told her yes with absolute certainty because not only did we ride her in a Continental with FQHB, but we are the dealer for Continental. It is our job to know these saddles. We are the experts. If you don’t want to take our word for it then contact Continental directly. The first thing that happened was the owner went to take a lesson with someone. They tacked up the mare and put her on the lunge line as a warmup. As the mare is going around on the lunge line the Continental saddle is bouncing. The instructor pulls the horse up and says they cannot continue. To the point the owner is now very concerned she is going to hurt this mare. The owner contacts us and tells us what happened. We don’t understand it because we rode her in the same saddle...different model but same tree, same everything. Not once did it occur to us that the saddle wasn’t placed properly for this lesson. We naturally assumed an instructor would know saddle placement. However, the owner, still not sure we are right, has a “saddle fitter” come out. She pays her fee. The saddle fitter puts the saddle on, takes pictures, and makes notes and diagrams. This is all professionally done with excellent explanations. If I didn’t know what I was talking about I would be pretty impressed. However, I know what I am talking about. The horse owner was told Continental saddles do not fit this mare but the saddle fitter had several options with her that would work. RED FLAG. Now we get contacted again with even more panic because not only did the instructor say the saddle doesn’t fit but now a professional saddle fitter has said the same thing. Now the owner has tried on a friend’s Continental that is older and she tells us it fits perfectly. She tells us it is the wider tree which is XfullQHB ( 7 ¼ gullet). She sends us pictures and wants to know what we have available and could she trade her Continental. Well...yes, you can trade and buy a new one. (After all, we too are in the business of selling saddles but....) Looking at the pictures, we don’t feel the friend’s saddle is Xfull but to confirm we send the serial number off to Continental. We are correct. The friend’s saddle and the horse owner’s saddle are the exact same only difference is different models but same tree. One is well used and the other is newer condition. Now we are doing a road trip. I am not going to sell a lady a saddle when the one she has is fine. We get there, Kerri tacks the mare up and lunges her. The saddle has way too much bounce. Saddle position is very important. This mare is a big mare and when you tack up a horse and start working them, the saddle will shift and it’s usually slipping forward. We stop the mare, I loosen the cinch and re-position the saddle a little further back. Tighten cinch and lunge her. Now it’s correct. It has very slight bounce and I’m fine with that, Continental is fine with that. We check all the areas to make sure the saddle isn’t pinching. We check her stride to make sure she’s moving freely. We tried 2 different pads and ended up with the ½ inch wonpad. To say we have a very relieved horse owner is an understatement. She hasn’t ridden her horse for fear of hurting her. She was willing to buy a brand new saddle if that’s what it took. I don’t know the answer here. The horse owner did the correct thing by having a saddle fitter look at what she has. It went south when she wasn’t advised correctly. Our job is to sell saddles. But first and foremost we always put the horse first. Once the horse has been fitted correctly, then you must fit the rider. Do we offer saddle fitting? Yes, we offer saddle fitting at our facility. At our facility we charge $75.00. If you purchase a Continental from us, we waive this fee. However, if you just need to know if your saddle fits you pay the fee. We are not here to force or push you/intimidate you to purchase a saddle. We want you comfortable and your horse comfortable. End of story. We do travel for fittings within reason. We charge $150 but same rule applies. If you happen to purchase a saddle from us we waive this fee. If you just need to know if your saddle fits, you pay the fee. No harm no foul. These fees do not make us rich, they merely cover our time that we are taking away from our training horses and in the travel case it goes towards fuel. We strongly encourage riders to make sure their tack is correct for their horse. There are simple things you can do yourself to check. Run your fingers down the horse’s spine and apply a lot of pressure. Do they drop to get away from your fingers? Is there heat in any area after riding other than from working. We had a mare come for training because she had attitude. When she arrived we checked her over. She had heat in the one shoulder and some swelling. The owner was riding her in a barrel saddle that was too tight. Her attitude was coming from being sore. Your horse will tell you. Lunge your horse without tack, check their stride. Then put your tack on...does the stride shorten? Are they pinning their ears? These are just a few checks and balances you can do yourself. Again, no offense to the saddle fitters out there, we get it. Maybe as a horse owner, when you have a saddle fitter come out, tell them you love your saddle and are willing to pay a fee. You just want to confirm what you already know...that your saddle is fine. You are not looking for a new saddle. I really don’t know what the answer is but there are way too many fitters out there that maybe need to re-think their strategy. I really don’t want to spend my time fitting saddles. I would rather be in the saddle riding but there obviously is a need, especially now that Roy is gone. He certainly had a no nonsense way of handling these subjects and people listened because he had been in the horse industry since it became an industry in Ontario. Age and experience speak volumes. But we don’t have Roy anymore.
*Note in the picture for reference, the saddle is placed ever slightly too far forward.
Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

08/07/2024

Back in stock and ready to go! This beautiful saddle looks great in the show pen or heading down the trail. The C94 is a classic square skirt with some tooling to dress it up. The picture shows the saddle in Chestique, however, we have it in the Dark Vintage which really sets it off nicely. This saddle is FQHB, medium fenders and 16.5 inch seat, memory foam seat in a brown nubuc along with the flex tree. These saddles offer a comfortable fit for both the horse and rider. If you have ever had any knee, ankle or hip pain then you need to sit in one of these saddles. If you aren't sure if the Continental saddle will work for your horse be sure to connect with us and let us help fit both you and your horse. We offer saddle fittings at our property and do travel to certain locations. We will also have a booth at the ORHA Grand Finale Show held in Clinton in September. Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

08/05/2024

"Cripe...just ride the bu**er" Doug Morden
These are words Kerri's Dad would mutter a million times when she was younger. For those of you that don't know Doug Morden, he was the first person to own and bring a Quarter Horse to Ontario. Others have claimed this but it was Doug. Next to bring a Quarter Horse was Don Nye, then others followed. Doug was also the first Chairman for the Ontario Quarter Horse Breeder's Futurity and remained Chairman for several years. While raising and showing Quarter Horses he also had a small boarding barn just outside of Milton, Ontario. Which is when he started muttering, "Cripe...just ride the bu**er". A lot has changed in the horse world since the late 50's and early 60's. We now have Equine Nutritionists, Equine Chiropractors, saddle fitters, massage therapists, psychics and the list goes on. If the saying "Cripe...just ride the bu**er", ever needed to be said, it would be now. Don't get me wrong, there is always special circumstances when you need to bring in an expert but for the love of the horse, please stop over analyzing. Ride. We have taken a lot of common sense out of the equation and have become analysts over riding. Analysts over horsemen. We have watched people over feed, under feed, ride in the wrong tack/change out good tack for worse tack because an "expert" said the tack was wrong. We have watched horses get "adjusted" when there really was no need and it changed the way they moved and not for the better. The newer horse owners are no longer "horsemen". They weren't raised around horses they got into them later in life. So they research everything, they google everything. Sometimes too much information is just that. Too much. Use your common sense. Stop buying every supplement/vitamin/mineral going. Your horse's body can only absorb so much. Stop over feeding. Just like a person being overweight isn't healthy, it's not healthy for a horse. But at the other end of the spectrum, stop underfeeding. Your horse doesn't have the energy to perform if he is underweight. There are easy keepers and hard keepers. Know what your horse is and feed accordingly. If you feed good quality hay and feed you don't need to add a million supplements. Stop analyzing your horse's brain...is he happy today or angry? There was a boarder one time who wouldn't ride because her horse's feet were too cold??? Let's face it. That wasn't about the horse, that was the rider having a fear issue. Call it what it is. But truly, just ride your horse. The more you ride your horse the better you will be. Why? Because you become so comfortable with them. You know them, you know how they think. You become very confident because you know them so well. You know how far you can push, you know if they don't understand what you are asking or if they are just being a jerk. You learn to know what to do if they are being a jerk. If you are new to horses and worry you are making incorrect decisions, then connect with someone who can advise. But pick a person, not 10. So, today....just ride the bu**er. Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.
**er

08/04/2024

The ORHA Futurity is getting close. It's so close I can smell the leather of the trophy saddles 🤣 Are you ready? Are you paid up? Do you have your outfit picked out? We can hardly wait to see who will win these beautiful saddles! Pictured here are your 2023 ORHA Open and Non Pro Futurity Winners, Barbara Bouchard and Landon Brown. 🤠

08/03/2024

Will you be attending the ORHA Grand Finale at Reach Huron in Clinton? We will be there with a booth and agreat selection of Continental saddles. Not sure what fit is best for you or your horse? Come by and see us and let us fit both you and your horse. We are here to help.
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08/01/2024

Did you know we offer complimentary saddle fitting at our facility? We offer this service for those who would love to own a Continental but have never sat in one or had one for their horse. This allows us to properly fit not only your horse, but you as well. When both you and your horse are fitted properly you will notice a difference. Your horse's stride will be more relaxed and able to stride out. We've even had a few horses that stopped pinning their ears when being ridden. For the rider, if you have hip/knee issues, you will find some relief and be more comfortable. We've even had a few riders with very bad hips who actually considered giving up riding altogether. After riding in a Continental, they completely changed their mind and continue to ride today. These words are not lies or sales tactics. We invite you to try for yourself. Come and see why this is the one brand and only brand we offer. They simply are the best. Continental Saddles are 100% made in the United States. They are individually handcrafted, one at a time. You can custom design your saddle and not pay through the nose for it. Contact us today to see what we have in stock or let us help you design one.

07/29/2024

Good morning, and Happy Monday! It's the beginning of another hot day. Training is starting early today to beat the heat. This is one horse we have had the pleasure of having in our barn for a few months now. Dale is a big personality that greets every day with a very happy attitude. While he isn't the bravest horse in the barn, he is one of the happiest. We hear so many trainers talk about changing a horse. We don't believe in trying to change who they are...we believe in working with who they are. With Dale's happy personality he can come across as " a lot". But he's just happy and game for what you want to do. In order to ride Dale and have a good ride, you need to understand you are riding every single stride. This isn't a horse that you will go out and daydream on. You need to be present. You need to be confident and his leader. You need to tell him it's okay, nothing scary is going to get you. Your confidence leads to his confidence. We've seen him go from a horse that comes out on the lunge line and goes like he's in a race to a very relaxed horse that just jogs off on the lunge line. We've seen him go from a horse that before you've got your leg swung over his back he's ready to bolt, to a horse that will fidget while you mount but he won't take off. This has all taken a few months to get him to realize we are trustworthy. Yes, there are rules and boundaries but we aren't making them up as we go along. They are the same from day 1 to day 120. That consistency has lead to Dale having a little more confidence. Don't try to change who your horse is....try to take who he is and make him better on his terms. Once you establish this kind of relationship, you will be able to sit back and watch that horse blossom. Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

07/27/2024

Attention ORHA Green Reiners! You have 2 shows left. One coming up in August at JJ Reining in Ancaster and the last one in September at the Grand Finale in Clinton. Remember, all you have to do to qualify is enter the ORHA Green Reiner Class. Yep, that's it. You don't have to win. You don't have to score. You just have to enter! At the Grand Finale, we will draw a name from all those who have entered ORHA Green Reiner classes this year. The winner will receive a $500 Gift Certificate towards a new Continental Saddle from us 😎 How do you like that! We love supporting all divisions of the ORHA and doing what we can to help this association grow!

07/25/2024

I don't know if you get as excited as we do this time of year but WOW 😍 there are some pretty nice 3 year olds starting to be shown! We cannot wait for the ORHA Grand Finale and the Futurity! Who will win these beautiful Continental Saddles? Two are up for grabs. One for the Open Division and one for the Non Pro Division!