Finally Dunit Mustangs & Performance Horses

02/04/2025

Trust is everything. Buster & Sheryl McLaury - Horsemen and Clinicians

01/22/2025

YES!!!! For the amount of money I've spent on these mustangs the last few years, I could have bought a pretty nice reiner prospect. But I love the process! It's always nice to take the horse you made to the show pen to show off the work you've done, but success comes in the every day improvements, even if they're microscopic.

HORSEMANSHIP AS A DISCIPLINE

Humans appear to have an unquenchable thirst for turning training into a sport. We turn the training that goes into preparing a horse for war into 3-day eventing, jousting, mounted archery, shooting, dressage, tent pe***ng, etc. We turn training horses to work stock into camp drafting, reining, western pleasure, rope ranching, garrocha, team penning, etc. We even turn trail riding into endurance events, navigation rides, mountain trails, etc. And there are many other activities that we turn into a specialized discipline or competition (eg c**t starting, skijoring) to have fun.

This need to specialize and divide into discreet horse sports is not a bad thing in itself. People own horses for their own reasons and if a particular sport interests them then I see nothing wrong with that.

When I was a teenager and eager to become the greatest showjumping rider the world has ever seen, I was told that if I wanted my young horse to be a showjumper I would need to train him with a showjumping coach. I have heard similar advice given to people about their young dressage horse, sport horse, carriage horse, etc. Many people have asked me for referrals to different trainers who are experts in their particular discipline to get their horses started on the right path. I’m sure you have all heard similar stories yourself or perhaps you hold the same views.

I never thought too hard about the idea that we should divide up different training into specialized disciplines until a few years ago when a friend asked if she should take her young horse to a well-respected dressage trainer for dressage training. I knew the dressage guru she was talking about well and I also knew the horsemanship trainer she was presently studying with very well. My answer was a simple categorical NO, and here is why.

Both the dressage trainer and the horsemanship trainer are excellent at what they do. However, my friend did not appreciate that her pursuit of training her horse to perform at a high level was setting her sights on the wrong goal. In her excitement to teach her horse a lot of cool dressage movements, she missed the point of getting her horse ready for the cool advanced movements.

The dressage trainer is talented at teaching all the little nuances that go into making the cool movements high quality. He understands the intricacies that turned a passable half-pass into an amazing half-pass. But the horsemanship trainer was brilliant at getting a horse ready for the brilliance of the dressage trainer. The horsemanship guy was going to get my friend’s horse relaxed and soft; mentally and emotionally ready and physically correct for the requirements that the dressage guy was going to demand. I say this with absolute confidence because I know for a fact that the dressage guy is not even close to being as talented at working with the inside of horses as the horsemanship guy. If the dressage guy knew as much as the horsemanship guy about getting a horse ready, I would not hesitate to recommend him to my friend. But that is not the case. Yet, I ponder what it would be like to combine the talents of both trainers and if it would produce the best horse person possible.

I have used my friend’s ambition to learn dressage from a dressage trainer as just one example of the issue. But there are a lot of people in the same predicament. I have people come to clinics that I help with their reining spins, barrel racers wanting help with their turns, there have been jumping riders wanting their horse to be calm in front of a jump, harness dilemmas, racehorses with barrier issues, endurance horses that can’t offer a relaxed walk, dressage horses with flying change difficulties. I am not a highly trained specialist in these disciplines, but I do know how to affect the inside of a horse and I do know how to prepare a horse for the thing we might ask of it. I know how to soften a horse to produce a good half-pass. I know how to connect to the hindquarters to ready a horse for a brilliant flying change. I do know how to balance a horse for the best spin or turn around a barrel it can do. The trainers who specialize in these sports know much more than I know about the detail required to reach the top level in these disciplines, but they don’t always know how to prepare the inside of a horse to be ready for that level of performance.

I am not saying there are no specialty trainers out there that can’t do what I do. But I am saying there are not enough of them. I’ve had professional dressage trainers send me horses to train to trailer load, fix head tossing and chomping on the bit problems, address tying up difficulties, and treat a serious bolting issue. I’ve had reiners come to clinics for help with straightness and western pleasure horses show up for help overcoming the “peanut-roll” head carriage. I could write a very long list of other examples, but you get my point.

I have never thought of good horsemanship as a discipline in itself. In my mind, it has always been a foundational element of everything we do with a horse. But increasingly I see that it is becoming a specialized pursuit separate from other pursuits. I find this more than a little sad.

One contributing factor for this might be that good horsemanship is hard – really hard. We are very skilled at making a horse do stuff. But it is bloody hard to help a horse feel stuff, and that’s what good horsemanship is about. I believe the reason why most people who pursue good horsemanship don’t compete is twofold (i) good horsemanship is so consuming and challenging in itself that a person loses interest in competing, and (ii) competition is about the human success and ego, which is the antithesis of what good horsemanship teaches a rider.

In my work as a professional clinician I get to see a lot of people with a passion for various horse pursuits whose mind is focused on the end goal and not the journey. I see it as my job as a teacher to turn that around for them.

Photo: Many would consider Tom Dorrance as the father of modern good horsemanship.

01/18/2025

Just a fun, pointless, winter post. Every good horseman knows that color doesn't make a good horse. But that doesn't mean that color isn't fun to have around!...especially when it comes to mustangs. So far, I've had quite the color variety, but still need a few others to be complete! Here's a little list of what I've had, and what's left (for general, common, colors):

Sorrel: Jasper, Freya, Flynn

Bay: Sienna, Daisy, Koda

Dark bay/brown: Duckie, Tilly

Black: Fiero, Nikita

Gray: Mossy

Bay Roan: Forrest, Roxy

Red Roan: Sangria, Rooster

Blue Roan: Cobalt (didn't gentle)

Palomino: Goldrush

Grulla: Churro

Buckskin: In March!

Still need:
Pinto
Dun
Appaloosa

Did I skip any common colors?

01/04/2025

Happy 2025 my friends, previous adopters, and followers! The January IA (Internet Auction) starts on the 6th and runs through the 13th. It's going to be torturous because my short list is, well....long. So many nice horses. But anyway, I'll be picking up in March, probably two, so if anyone is ready to adopt and wanting something specific, let me know! Otherwise, I'll be picking a couple nice ones regardless. There is one specifically very English/dressage type as well.

12/29/2024

"People ask me why I do it.. Why I miss birthday parties, family dinners and any other special occasions. Why I spend hundreds upon thousands of dollars. Why I put a billion of miles on my vehicle running up and down the road. Why I choose to leave early or stay late just to squeeze in those last minute sun setting long trot sessions. Why I haul 3 hours to the vet at the first sign of a issue when I won't spend the money or time to go to the ER myself. Why I wake up early and stay up all night. Why my horses eat on a strict schedule, while I eat anytime, anywhere I can. Why sometimes it seems I'm choosing horses over relationships, people, and everything else in my life. Why do I do it? Why do I put myself, my family, my body, my finances through it? "what is one horse show going to matter?" The answer is simple but not understood by most everyone unless they live it. What I do is who I am. It's not meant to be understood by anyone. It's an addiction, a hobby, a lifestyle and a world only us horse people understand. You won't stop... no matter the circumstances, the bad luck, how much you spent and wasted, the time you can never get back, you CANT stop. You can take a break, sell out, lose faith, leave the horses standing in the pasture, But you never give it up. It's always there, in your every thought, memory and future dream. Goals will change but the desire never will. Months and years may shift how and when you go, how many horses you own and your level of interest. BUT, it never leaves. It's a God given passion to learn from and to use as a tool. When you ask me why.. my answer is WHY NOT?! Why not live everyday like it's my last! WHY not be a example to my family and friends as someone who never gave up!!! WHY not give it my all and see just how far I can go and what I can achieve! Why NOT??? My only hope and prayer is that everyone will find their.. "why do you it?" "

12/28/2024

I'm really loving Flynn. Today was his second real ride in the round pen. Got great forward motion and changing direction well, with a little trot each way. Trimmed his hinds which he's great about, and walked him down the road for the 1st time. Objects like trash cans and culverts, even cars don't seem to bother him. Spotting other horses gets him a little worked up, but he has a ton of try and holds it together for me without losing his mind. He really makes my job training him enjoyable, and I think he knows when I'm telling him he's a good boy. Once I am able to get a lope under saddle (will be a little bit with this wet ground), we will be full speed ahead.

12/25/2024

Rolling on with My Boy Flynn! He had a couple weeks off while I was finishing up with the girls, and we had one refresher session last week and today was his 1st official ride in the round pen! Yesterday was the 1st day I had swung a leg over and allowed him to straighten his head so he could switch eyes, in which we had a little broncy bronc while I was in one stirrup (I've still got it by the way ;)), but he listened to one rein after about 4 humps and settled nicely! I saw him catch my black muck boot in his right eye and it scared him a little. So today we did a little "both eyes" desensitizing, but he had already remembered yesterday lesson and that he didn't die haha. It was a very successful 1st ride and I'm so excited to move along with him. Here he is in all his wooly, muddy glory.

12/21/2024

Just a quick overnight to Alabama to deliver Tilly to her new adopter! I'm officially down to my personal 3 for a couple months! This is my time to fix my pens up, get rolling with Flynn, and do some farm maintenance. I haven't been down to 3 horses since 2018!! But I already have people waiting for me to get more stangs in next year! Short break. Gonna have some me time in Decatur tonight.

12/19/2024

Here's a glimpse of a horse trainers life in reality. We have a passion, usually starts almost at birth, we go after it, like an addict.

We work for free to learn. Muck stalls, buck hay, build fence, drag arenas, wash horses, sweep floors and a thousand other tasks just in hopes of learning something about these amazing animals.

Endless and often thankless hours. To get lucky enough to get on some nasty suckers no one wants to ride. But you get on...maybe scared, maybe unsure, but you'd crawl in the middle of a lions den just to prove to yourself that you can. You ride anything they run at you, even if you have to duck out of the way and rope it, as it runs by you.

Then one day, you strike out on your own. You become a trainer, But you still crawl on the wild ones and make the best you can of them. You still get je**ed around trying to lead a c**t to the barn, that you were told was halter broke, still get rope burns, get kicked and ran over. Have runaways, broncs, and ones that smash your knees into the fence. Some days you are the one that should be wearing splint boots and polo wraps, not the horse.

Even the easy days are abusive to your body. You are stiff and sore and begin to eye the liniment, DMSO and Bute in the tackroom. You ride, lunge, teach and soul search endless hours of ways to improve your skills, even if it’s 2am, nursing your own redbull and Advil.

What little money you actually make you buy or replace broken gear, buy magnetic blankets for your horses, shop for hay, struggle to find a place to train out of, insurance, the list only grows. But the horses nicker, your heart smiles, and you kick on.

Through endless hours of learning, failing, trying harder, wanting to quit, but digging deeper, you learn to train well and show well.
You start winning, winning starts to build you a name, a following, surely you have made it...nope.

You still aren’t above mucking stalls or dragging the arena, you basically do what you did in the beginning. You just get paid a tiny little more and have a different fancier title.

After all of this, day and night, you still work crazy odd hours and hunger to get better. And in bed, you rerun and review every horse you worked that day, in your mind over and over, until you pass out only to repeat it again at daybreak. If we took a pencil to what we earned per hour we'd go work at Starbucks.

Then...the clients. Some good, some bad, some frickin amazing and some absolutely awful.
They go from singing your praises to slinging disappointment but, they never call you to talk, it’s all behind your back. But the good horses make up for every bad owner, they own your soul. You did right by them, that’s all that matters. And the good owners, you never ever forget.

Trainers are too weak to give in and
Too strong to quit, and our name isn’t on your horses papers, but our heart is.

Remember why you started my friends...you started because of the love....hang in there, don't lose your passion, your heart and soul over people, other trainers, over ribbons or scores, keep doing it for the horse. It will always be worth it.

Horses are worth it, when they are your passion. I love my job now even more than the day I started, at age 14. I still get excited for first rides, smooth lead changes, quiet hobbling, a warm breath on my hand and a dragon snort behind me.

I have the best job in the world, and I’m so very grateful to the owners that allow me this blessing. And the horses that fuel my soul.

Jen
RMPH

Adapted and heavily Edited by me, from author unknown post.

12/10/2024

Just a few updates as my gentling season comes to a close.

Tilly's prospective adopters came today, and I believe they are going to commit to her. Today, during their visit, I gave her her 2nd actual fully tacked up ride in her pen in which she is doing very well. Refreshing our sessions with some positive reinforcement mixed in has done her wonders. If her adopters say yes, she will be leaving very soon.

Koda is coming along so nicely!!! If you had told me back in October that I would have jumped on her and officially sat on her today, I wouldn't have believed you. She also couldn't care less about being tacked up and packing the saddle around. And I got her tail untangled! It was the worst I've ever encountered. She leaves on the 16th.

Flynn is cruising along on the somewhat back burner, but has such a good mind that I'm not too worried. He is also packing the saddle nicely, and I sat on him ba****ck and got some turning steps on him a couple days ago. 1st ride? Nah. Not until I get forward motion. ;)

11/24/2024

“THE DREAM THAT MANY WILL NOT UNDERSTAND:
My horses are my personal dream.
One day when I am very old and when I can not walk anymore, it will be in my heart as a trophy of my memories.
I met people who taught me something and have the same spirit and I met others that I'm glad I forgot.
I got wet,
I felt cold,
And I felt warm;
I was afraid,
I fell,
And I stood up.
I even hurt myself, I have been broken,
But also, I laughed out loud inside.
I spoke a thousand times with myself.
I sang and shouted with joy like a madman,
And yes ... sometimes I cried.
I have seen wonderful places and lived unforgettable experiences.
I climbed on horses that made me feel brave and excited...and then there were ones that terrified me......
I stopped a thousand times to see a landscape.
I spoke with perfect strangers, and I forgot people I see every day.
I went out with my demons inside and returned home with a feeling of absolute peace in my heart.
I always thought how dangerous it is, knowing that the meaning of courage is to advance even feeling fear.
Every time I go out to my horses I think about how wonderful they are.
I stopped talking about it to those who do not understand, and I learned to communicate with other riders.
I have met some amazing people I now call friends because of my horses.
I spent money that I did not have, giving up many things, but all these things are not worth even one special moment with my horse.
They are not a means of transport or a piece of iron with wheels, they are the lost part of my soul and my spirit.
And when someone says to me: "You have to sell the horses and you have to be more sensible", ... I do not answer. I just swing my head and smile.
A horse..... only the person who loves them understands it.
May God bless my friends and all their horses...
And the adventure continues...”
Author unknown

📸Photography credits: Rockin’ Pj Photography
Elsabe Hausauer

11/18/2024

Koda, previously Tehya, is coming along very well, considering she's blind in one eye. Here is a video of how I go about their 1st time visiting the trailer.

11/14/2024

My Boy Flynn looks pretty great with a saddle on. And, he got his 1st official farrier trim on his fronts and did great!

11/05/2024

Just a little Tilly sittin. Slowly starting to ride her.