Tilley's Custom Colts and Horsemanship

10/31/2024

We had a great show last night! It was an honour to share the stage with Ryan Fritz . Thank you to all that came out! Thank you to Rob Krieger and Dustin Lynch for helping get things organized. Big thanks to the Jansen kinsmen for providing refreshments. Here’s to hoping we do it again sometime!

10/27/2024

Horseman’s Prayer

By: John Tilley

Lord thank you for this day and I pray you watch over me
I thank you that I’m horseback and for another day I am free
I pray you keep my family safe who’s working by my side
Put your hand upon the horses as we teach them and we ride
I pray for patience Lord and empathy I’ll find
I pray for guidance lord as we treat the horses kind
I pray the horses feet are sure and my gear all holds together
I pray his spirits soft as we tackle different weather
So thank you Lord so kindly for this life we get to lead
Thank you for the blessings, we’ve got everything we need
Amen

Photo: Jamie Hupaelo Tilley

10/17/2024

This will be a great evening! If you plan on attending, please purchase your tickets at Ryanfritz.net. Buying your tickets in advance helps us to better prepare for the show. See you there!

JOIN US! We are really looking forward to this show! I’m honoured to be working with Ryan Fritz to bring an evening of Ranch Music and Cowboy Poetry to Jansen , Saskatchewan! Advance tickets are available through Ryan’s website as on the poster. Please share and let’s fill the Jansen Hall for a fantastic evening!

10/08/2024

UPDATE: Horse Training, Clinics, and Cowboy Poetry.

10/08/2024

JOIN US! We are really looking forward to this show! I’m honoured to be working with Ryan Fritz to bring an evening of Ranch Music and Cowboy Poetry to Jansen , Saskatchewan! Advance tickets are available through Ryan’s website as on the poster. Please share and let’s fill the Jansen Hall for a fantastic evening!

10/04/2024

Far Too Bow Legged For That

By: John Tilley

I once heard an old feller say
In regards to his work back in the day
When he was on the cowboy crew
There were certain jobs he wouldn’t do
And he’d say no right off the bat
Cause he was far too bowlegged for that

To be hired for a straight riding gig
Can make your head get kind of big
There are things not included on your resume
Like changing oil and making hay
You’re a wild buckaroo, standing strong and Pat
Cause you’re far too bowlegged for that

And I can say that I felt the same
When I entered in the cowboy game
All I thought I’d ever do was ride
So my ears weren’t open very wide
when learning maintenance, I had the mind of a gnat
Cause I was far to bow legged for that

Now I have a place of my own
And I find I’m always on the phone
To find a mechanic, a plumber or welder
If the house needs a reno, we hire a builder
I hire my hay or ground work from a cat
Cause I was far too bow legged for that

Young Cowboys keep that cowboy pride
And never lose your love to ride
But broaden your skills and learn some things
Cause you never know what life will bring
It’s tough on your financial resources
And the only thing you want to see broke are your horses
You’ll pay some bills that are awful fat
Because you were far too bowlegged for that.

09/17/2024

We are in search of an Arena groomer that can be pulled with an ATV or side-by-side. let us know your favourite one and where a person might be able to purchase it. In Saskatchewan preferred. Thanks for your help!

09/09/2024

With fall approaching, here’s some thoughts on Halter Breaking weanling foals.

www.tilleyscustomc**ts.ca

09/05/2024

Poem: The Martins Are Gone

By: John Tilley

The martins are gone, but the flies are still here
It’s getting to be that time of the year
Where the c**ts get brought in and off summer grass
They’re shiny and plump and filled right full of sass

The mornings are cool, dust hangs in the air
To now hear a song bird is awfully rare
The pasture is brown and the hay has been made
The hot humid summer is starting to fade

Like the squirrels, we work to beat what’s ahead
Fore’ we get hunkered down under winters cold bed
It’s not summer now as the falls coming on
Things will soon change cause the Martin’s are gone.

08/20/2024

Aug 14-16 Semi Private Clinic here at our place. We had lots of variety and endless topics to work on. We did a restart of a horse and watched It come a long ways and get back on track. We did stockmanship, horsemanship, flag work, cross heals, roping and trailer loading. We had good weather, good Horsemanship and good fellowship. Thank you to all the participants who came and shared. It was a great week!

08/12/2024

Limoges/Ottawa Ontario! You guys were a great group 😊. Erika Klyszejko and Eileen and Ed… you guys gave amazing hospitality and took care of us. We are sooo grateful. Cortney Honey, thanks for co hosting, you did a lot of work and we appreciate you. To all participants, we left you better than when we found you 🩵 thanks for coming.

08/08/2024

Jaquima to Freno

By John Tilley

Jaquima to Freno translates as Hackamore to Bridle. It’s easy to remember a time in my life when I would hear the Ian Tyson song titled “Jaquima to Freno” and think that’s kind of a silly song. I’d think, I’ve sure never saw a visila tree growing in my part of the country. I’d think hmmm…. there are tapedero’s hanging from it, can you eat those? It wasn’t until I immersed myself deeper into the working cowboy culture that I started to realize what it meant. The song is a look at the age old tradition of bringing a horse along slowly and turning it in to a fine dancing partner. This is done by advancing him through the hackamore (Jaquima), the two rein and then into the bridle (freno).

It’s interesting how something that can first seem silly to us can become such a huge part of us. Once I got around a few good bridle men and realized the art form that creating a nice bridle horse entailed,my life changed. In the beginning I was blown away by the process and the results it could produce. As time went on I became aware that it wasn’t just about the horse. This was an art form that my life began to parallel. By taking each peice of the process for what it is, creates a finer horse and a finer life. The parallels between horse and human are…

The horse starts where he starts. The day a decision is made to educate him and make a better horse is the day he starts. The same goes for the human. Once we decide to become better and a more educated aware human is the day we started. Human or horse, to move forward we have to start.

This too shall pass. For human or horse. The horse won’t stay a beginner forever. He won’t have all good days. He will go through peaks and valleys on his way to becoming a bridle horse. Don’t panic, trying times will too pass. The humans life mirrors that.

There will be times it feels he’s at a stand still. He hasn’t gotten worse but he isn’t getting better. That’s part of it, that’s called working at his craft or putting in the reps. That’s the making of a bridle horse part. Our life is the same. We may have had big growth in the beginning but the progress is less noticeable now. This phase is the polishing part. The part where what we hope to become is happening now, we are just fine tuning it.

Through time and education he has learned to carry himself. He has become balanced. He feels better on the inside and out. As humans we will reach the point where we have learned to carry ourselves and conduct business. Like a bridle horse we will have made mistakes, got way out of balance, and worked at the wrong thing all on the way to finding that sweet spot. That sweet spot for us humans is flow.

A bridle horse is never truly finished. He may be outstanding but is always improving. Everyday, as the one holding the reins we are polishing, preserving and perfecting a work of art. An opened minded human will never be finished. We have worked, educated ourselves, and persevered into something we are content with. Everyday we keep directing it the best we can and learning more to improve.

“ Teach me something old” is a title to a great Ryan Fritz song. I think it says it all in horses and life. Sometimes going back to older values, slowing down, waiting longer, and enjoying the process can produce the best results. Whether you are taking a horse from Jaquima to freno or trying to become a better human,this philosophy can apply. In life or bridle horses “ it takes as long as it takes.” Remember poco a poco means a little by a little. Slow down and enjoy the process. Your horse will never be finished and neither will you. It’s not about the destination it’s about the ride.

08/05/2024

Home

I pull in through the ranch gate and it’s such a pretty sight
I’m thankful that I made it home safe and sound tonight
I thank the folks for having me and listening to the words I said
I hope you all sleep well and I’m headed straight for bed

08/03/2024

Day 2 at Horses in Motion near Portage La Prairie Manitoba. There’s a great day ahead!

07/31/2024

You won’t hear me complain, except maybe in a poem.

It’s A Hot One
By: John Tilley

The fires in the north, have got the sky all hazy
The dog is laying in the shade and acting pretty lazy
The sweats a dripping on my hand as I tack another shoe
Sweat and cuss and swat at flies is all that I can do

Keep the heifers in salt, don’t let the trough run dry
Get up early to beat the heat is all that you can try
The mornings so dang dewy and the days are so darn hot
Get up early, saddle them c**ts and leave there at a trot

With night fall comes mosquitoes and horses on the walk
Things are drying up now and the hooves are hard like rock
Plan your day accordingly, if you’re being wise
Cause you wait too long to start and you’re gonna battle flies

You better pack some water or you’re likely to feel ill
You couldn’t buy a breeze, things are so damn still
You figure heats okay, but dread humidity
An air conditioned office might be the place to be

But you’re from the frozen north and winter’s coming on
So you treasure this discomfort with every mornings dawn
So I’ll take the heat and not complain and stand here tall and proud
And I’ll gripe and whine inside my head but I won’t do it out loud.

07/29/2024

*edited* FILLED- thanks!!!

ONE LAST CHANCE to get in a Semi Private Clinic/Camp here at our place this year! One spot available. Aug 21-23

A special and unique workshop, completely customized to each participant and the horses they bring.

Horsemanship, Stockmanship, Cow Work, Roping, C**t Starting, Halter Breaking, Cross Heels, Special Projects, Trailer Loading, etc.

Three full days of instruction, up to 2 horses allowed, endless topics addressed, complementary parking/electrical camping, suppers shared together followed by campfire and cowboy poetry, complimentary stalling.

We come together as students and leave as friends…

07/28/2024

We had a great semi-private clinic here last week! We had lots of variety of horses right from starting back up a young one to older horses that needed support. The group was amazing and they all left as friends. The weather was very warm, but we adjusted to fit the situation and had a great clinic in spite of it!

A big thank you to Jonathan Pearce Custom Saddles for the live saddle cleaning/saddle fit demonstration. He inspired everyone to go home and clean their saddle!

“ what lies behind you, and what lies before you, is nothing compared to what lies within you.”

We look forward to seeing you all down the trail!