Ranger Point Ranch Horses

07/07/2024

It's that time of the year! 4-H is an organization that is very near and dear to me. My start into horse showing came from showing rescue ponies in 4-H.

Growing up, we had great 4-H leaders that encouraged education, good horsemanship, accountability, and leadership. I absolutely love getting the opportunity to pass it on.

I was invited this summer to work with Carroll County 4-H Horse & Pony and Howard County 4-H Horse & Pony to present clinics on ranch horses to help prepare them for their county fair. Their fairs started/start this week and next week.

We also had a 4-H clinic here at Hoof Track Acres, LLC and had a wonderful turnout. I have the pleasure of working with some extremely dedicated kids from Clay County year round who start showing this coming weekend.

Good luck to you all! Regardless of placings, you should all leave the arena as better horsemen and better leaders. 😉

07/04/2024

Happy 4th of July from Ranger Point Ranch Horses 🎇

Let freedom ring and let the rain pour! We sure needed it.

07/03/2024

Good luck to everyone showing at the ARHA world show in Ocala, FL!

06/27/2024

Lena took on the ranch cutting for the first time in her career last weekend at the June Indiana Ranch Horse Association Show.

She lost her cow due to pilot error, but she kept her "brain between her ears" and had a lot of try on her cow. I am very proud of the improvement this mare showed last weekend on the cow and in the drywork.

TR GOLDS PEPPY LENA owned by Mary Taylor

06/27/2024

Cinch the POA stayed with us this spring to prep him for his big trip out to South Dakota to work on a cattle round up and branding with his kid, Archer.

Archer took several lessons while Cinch was in training to be a better communicator and to understand the cues I was using on Cinch. I was very impressed with Archer's ability to recall information from the prior lesson and apply it.

I got an update last week that Cinch was great for Archer and they had a lot of fun! Thank you to the Tharps for trusting me with the task, it was an honor.

Cinch owned by Dave & Candy Tharp

06/26/2024

That feeling of finishing your first ranch trail pattern with your new horse...on your birthday! 🎂

06/25/2024

Have you ever seen a pleasure bred POA slide?
Now you have 😎

When Paxton brought Oakley to our 4-H clinic, Oakley brought an effort to stop that she hasn't ever offered in the year I've been working with them. I talked to Paxton's parents about putting sliders on her to encourage this new effort and they agreed to give it a try.

I got some funny looks when I was talking to folks about putting sliders on an 8 year old pleasure bred POA, but Paxton and Oakley had their first ride with the sliders on tonight and Oakley did not disappoint.

Paxton was grinning ear to ear when looking back at his 11s.

Shes One Lucky Lady owned by Paxton Brinkman

06/24/2024

𝑱𝑼𝑵𝑬 𝑰𝑹𝑯𝑨 𝑺𝑯𝑶𝑾 𝑹𝑬𝑪𝑨𝑷

It was a hot one this weekend at Cowpokes Arena at C Bar C Expo Center, but the heat didn't stop us from having a good time. We celebrated Kim Kelly's birthday on Saturday with a surprise cake at our traditional Saturday Pitch-In, special shout out to Autumn Drake for grabbing the cake while we were busy in the show pen. Two of our riders were one spot out of being in the top 5 for weekend high point and every single one of them showed improvement.

Check out the results:

𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

Ella Drake & 𝑂𝑏𝑖𝑠 𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑖𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑟 owned by Kasey Bowles

Ranch Trail 2,2

Ella Drake & 𝐶𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒 𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑎 owned by Ella Drake

Ranch Riding 1, 8
Ranch Reining 4, 4
Ranch Trail 8,3
Ranchmanship 7,6

𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

Kasey Bowles & 𝑂𝑏𝑖𝑠 𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑖𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑟 owned by Kasey Bowles

Ranch Boxing 6, 8
Ranch Cutting 5,5
Ranch Trail 6,5
Ranchmanship 1,8

Kasey Bowles & 𝐶𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝐴 𝐹𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝐷𝑅 owned by Kasey Bowles and Taylor McNamara

Ranch Boxing 10, -

Mallory Whaley & 𝐴 𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑅𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑦 owned by Mallory Whaley

Mallory and "Blackie Chan" may not have had a stellar weekend in the placings, however Mallory's hard work on her roping and her spins was showcased beautifully this weekend. These two are going to be a team to beat one day!

𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧

Kasey Bowles & 𝑇𝑅 𝐺𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑠 𝑃𝑒𝑝𝑝𝑦 𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑎 owned by Mary Taylor

Ranch Reining 10
Ranch Boxing 8, -
Ranch Trail 3, 4
Ranchmanship 9,9

"Lena" gets the most improved horse award for this show without a doubt. There was so much improvement on this mare this weekend, just in how she rode and her mental state when put in new situations.

Kasey Bowles & 𝐷𝑢𝑛 𝐼𝑡 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑡 𝑂𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑎 owned by Kim Kelly

Ranch Reining 9, -
Ranch Trail 7, 7
Ranchmanship 3,3

Mary Taylor & 𝑇𝑅 𝐺𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑠 𝑃𝑒𝑝𝑝𝑦 𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑎 owned by Mary Taylor

Conformation: Three & Over Mares 9,9

𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

Kim Kelly & 𝐷𝑢𝑛 𝐼𝑡 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑡 𝑂𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑎 owned by Kim Kelly

Ranch Reining 8, 4
Horsemanship 9, 10
Ranch Trail 7, 3
Ranchmanship 5,6

𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

Kim Kelly & 𝐷𝑢𝑛 𝐼𝑡 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑡 𝑂𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑎 owned by Kim Kelly

Conformation: Three & Over Geldings 3, 3

Mary Taylor & 𝑇𝑅 𝐺𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑠 𝑃𝑒𝑝𝑝𝑦 𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑎 owned by Mary Taylor

Conformation: Three & Over Mares 8,7

An additional congratulations is due to Laura Stern for winning the Novice Amateur Ranchmanship buckle sponsored by Ranger Point Ranch Horses. Great riding Laura!

Thank you to our sponsors Sanders Equine Massage for always keeping our horses feeling their best and MW Custom Leather for all of the quick tack fixes and beautiful leather work.

We're already looking forward to August. Thank you to all of our clients for creating such a fun show environment, being prepared at the shows, and choosing Ranger Point Ranch Horses as your team.

Always improving. Always Learning.

Ranger Point Ranch Horses ☘️

06/24/2024

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have a stall open for a four month stay. Let this rescheduling be your opportunity to take you and your horse to the next level!

Training rate is $1200/month, that includes full care board at the beautiful Hoof Track Acres LLC. facility.

We offer c**t starting, tune ups, and continued education for all of your ranch horse prospects and show horses.

06/21/2024

Kim and her pit crew this morning 🏁

06/20/2024

Ranger Point Ranch Horses is headed to C Bar C Expo Center for the June IRHA show tomorrow 💥

Stop by this weekend to watch the crew, check out Cowpokes, or just to say hi. We'd love to see you!

Don't forget to check out our sponsors!
Sanders Equine Massage
MW Custom Leather

Featuring Kasey Bowles and TR GOLDS PEPPY LENA owned by Mary Taylor

06/17/2024

It may not be too impressive, but I have worked my tail off to get this mare here.

Lena is a 12 year old mare that was dropped off to help her and her owner progress in the ranch horse. Miss Lena was so stiff that she caused my arms to double in size that first 30 days, but she is really coming around (no pun intended) to being a more willing partner. Thank you Mary for the opportunity to help you and Lena on your journey.

TR GOLDS PEPPY LENA owned by Mary Taylor

06/17/2024

Happy Father's Day from Ranger Point Ranch Horses!

06/15/2024

06/11/2024

It's branding day for Ranger Point Ranch Horses! 😍

Rue, Birdie, and Scooter are now sporting the brand. Thank you Claire, Ella, and Kinsey for helping hold horses today.

06/10/2024

Motivation Monday 💥

06/06/2024

One of my favorite parts of my job is watching the young ones grow into themselves.

We've had Rue since he was a weanling and I've done all of his training from day one. I swear he's still filling out by the day, but check out the height difference between his 2 year old and 4 year old year!

OBIS TAKEN THE SILVER owned by Kasey Bowles

Photos done by the talented MRT Photography

06/04/2024

What is a ranch horse?

Traditionally, a ranch horse is any horse used on a ranch for jobs such as;

-riding miles of fence
-packing
-checking, sorting, and moving cattle
-navigating treacherous terrain
-clearing trails and hazards
-roping cattle

How does this translate to showing ranch horses?

It is important to understand the traditional function of the ranch horse when training, showing, and judging one.

Take a look at that first photo, it was taken from another ridge with a valley between us. If you're trotting your ranch pony all the way over to that ridge before starting a days work you want a horse that is;

-comfortable
-willfully guided
-sure footed
-gritty
-ground covering
-good minded
-consistent

I try to look at it as, how tired would I be after riding that horse for 8 hours during round up?

There are a lot of ticks that don't seem like a big deal until you have to ride it for 8 hours over rough terrain.

06/02/2024

We had a blast at our 4-H clinic today prepping these kids for their fair week!

06/02/2024

The rain didn't slow us down! Thank you all for coming out to our Ranch Horse Clinic today

06/01/2024

We're ready to "work for it" this morning as we prepare to kick off our Ranch Horse Clinic today. If you get a chance, stop by and audit, bring a lunch, and come say hi!

05/31/2024

📣May Client Spotlight📣

05/30/2024

Today is a VERY special day! Our beloved Rocket turns 30 🥳

On May 30, 1994 a handsome bay c**t was born on the farm of Susan and Bill Thiel. They registered him with the AQHA under the name BUCKSHOTS ROCKET 234, named after a nickname of Bill's that he earned after an unfortunate incident with some buckshot. He entered this world with a stunning coat, big hip, and a gait as smooth as glass.

Spunky in his youth, Rocket was full of life and ran into a guidewire in the pasture as a 4 year old. This took all of the hair off of his shoulder from mid chest to his girthline and left him with a permanent indentation in his right pectoral.

I grew up knowing Rocket as "Dad's horse" and spent a lot of hours getting ponied by Dad with HeidHo's nose in Rocket's tail the whole trail ride.

Rocket has carried 4 generations of Thiels in the saddle and he was the first horse I ever sat on. He was a trusty mount for Bill and his son, Tim, for many years before us kids got a hold of him.

He mellowed out with age and in his teens carried myself and my niece Jorden through our 4-H years, but it wasn't until I started using him as a lesson horse at age 22 that we got to watch him make his mark.

Rocket became a phenomenal beginner lesson horse and his smooth gait has taught many a rider how to get their first lope. He carried riders of all ages through summer camps, drill teams, parades, and horse shows.

Rocket now lives "free range" on the property in Brazil, Indiana and gives 2 lessons a week with a strict weight limit. He has a little girl leasing him for the 4-H fair this year and is living it pretty easy these days.

Rocket is one of the lucky few that is sponsored for life by Summit Equine to help with his arthritis.

Please share your Rocket pictures and stories in the comments as we celebrate our old man's special day!

05/29/2024

Speed Is An Amplifier

We do a lot of the "boring" stuff here at Ranger Point and I have some very good reasons for it. I thoroughly believe in the philosophy, "If you can't do it slow, you can't do it fast." Speed has this ability to take all the holes in your horse's training and amplify them.

Oftentimes someone will come to me with an issue with their horse and say "Well, he only does it at the lope," and this philosophy has saved our horses and ourselves a lot of frustration.

You see, if your horse tends to drift left at the walk it's only one or two steps and may equate to a foot in distance traveled. The average horseman doesn't notice it at this stage.

At a trot that turns into 3 or 4 feet and many horsemen won't notice it here either.

When you lope off that drifting is 6-10 feet (or more) and it can be scary. This is when your average horseman acknowledges the behavior.

The problem actually started at the walk, however the rider didn't notice it until the lope because the speed had amplified the issue.

Our job as horsemen is to feel the subtle movements of the horse and fix the holes in our horses at the fundamental level of the problem.

When I was younger I would have had the client lope that horse until that horse quit.
Now, my first response is "Well let's fix it at the walk" and when we fix it at the walk, magically the trot and lope get better too.

Do you utilize this type of training with your horse?

05/28/2024

Only 1 spot left in our Ranch Clinic for Saturday if someone wants it!

We have a hand full of openings for our 4-H clinic on Sunday. Get your prep for your county fair in, all ages and levels welcome!

Come see what ranch horse is all about with ARHA Judge and horse trainer, Kasey Bowles.

05/26/2024

And that's a wrap for the May 2024 IRHA show!!

I am SO PROUD of this crew! We had first time riders and first time horses this weekend who really showed up and gave it their best effort. I am beyond grateful to have such wonderful clients who see the vision and cheer each other on.

Here are the results:

CERTAINLY A COOL GUN & Claire Roberts

Nov Youth Ranch Riding 4,7

DUN IT STRAIT OLENA & Kasey Bowles

Sr Ranchmanship 1,1
Sr Boxing 5, -
Sr Ranch Riding 10,10
Sr Ranch Reining 4,4

DUN IT STRAIT OLENA & Kim Kelly

Nov Am Ranch Riding 5,7
Nov Am Ranchmanship 6,10
Am Conformation
Geldings 3 and Over 3,4

TR GOLDS PEPPY LENA & Kasey Bowles

Sr Ranch Trail 10,10
Sr Ranchmanship 4, 5

TR GOLDS PEPPY LENA & Mary Taylor

AA Conformation
Mares 3 & Over 8,9
Am Conformation
Mares 3 & Over 6,10

OBIS TAKEN THE SILVER & Kasey Bowles

Jr Boxing 3,4
Jr Reining 3,4
Jr Ranch Riding 8, -
Jr Ranchmanship 2,3
Jr Ranch Trail 8,8

CATS A FOOL DR & Kasey Bowles

Jr Boxing 5,10
Jr Ranchmanship 10, -

A WHITE ROSE REMEDY & Mallory Whaley

Jr Boxing 3,8

CATS MARDELLE LENA & Ella Drake

Nov Youth Horsemanship 4,4
Nov Youth Boxing 1,3
Nov Youth Ranch Reining 2,2
Nov Youth Ranch Trail 5,5
Youth Conformation
Mares 3 & Over 4,6

Honorable mention to Evan Drake for helping collect ropes for the trail course, every job that helps keep a show running is very important.

It was also so much fun to have Katie Hornberger come stall with us for the weekend! Thanks for hanging out with us.