BM Performance and Ranch Horses

12/02/2023

.marie.photos got some neat shots of my horses while testing out her new photography equipment. There’s not much going on right now, but I’ve got plans for after the holidays that include warmer weather! Enjoying the time with family for now!

08/01/2023

Copied. I appreciate the experienced trainers who are willing the share their hard lessons with those of us who are not as experienced! It’s funny how most of these apply to the people side of running a training business. I guess if you choose to be a horse trainer, you probably have more of an idea of what to expect from the horses than you do the people!
That being said, I’m very grateful and blessed with the horses and their owners that I have gotten to know the past several years! I want to continue to learn and grow so that I can help horses as well as be a blessing to their owners.

For my fellow barn owners/ trainers out there!

Lessons learned long and hard in the horse business as a professional..

1. It's easy to fall in love with your customers. They become a family who you spend a lot of time with. However, in the end they will do what's best for themselves. And, for you and them, those paths may not be the same. Prepare to get your heart broken. Keep business and personal relationships separate.

2. People will not always trust in your experience and will second guess you. They will think they know better because they read it in a book, or saw it online. Don't try to be all things to all people. Do what you are good at. Run your barn in a way that you can sleep at night knowing that you did right in your mind by them and their horses. The clients opinion of that may be different than your beliefs, but you have to live with choices that leave you at peace. That may mean confrontation, hard conversations and even asking people to move on for your own peace.

3. Horses are easy 99% of the time. It's the people who come with them that make things complicated.

4. Remember that horses need to be horses.

5. People will always judge you, and have opinions. The better you are, the more haters will have opinions.

6. Success isn't measured by ribbons and show placings. It's measured in happy animals and the quality of their lives.

7. There is always an exception or quirk that doesn't " follow the rules" in horse care. Do what works, not what the books say works.

8. When you get annoyed by seeing somebody's car pull in to the barn, it's time to let that person move on. Your barn should be a happy place. It literally only takes one bad sour apple to ruin the whole atmosphere and dynamic in a barn.

9. Let it go.... if someone moves on don't be upset by it. Ignore what they say. Don't take it personally. Every barn is not a good fit for every person.

10. This is a business. If a person or horse isn't working for you, or the compensation isn't offsetting your cost, it's time for them to go. The exception to this is your retired horses, see #11.

11. Horses only have so many jumps, so many runs, so many rides. Don’t waste your horses. Teach your students they aren’t machines. You owe it to your retired horses to have a safe, comfortable and dignified end. Your schoolies worked for you. When the time comes they can no longer do that, either give them a pleasant retirement, or put them in the ground where you know they are safe. Do not dump them at auctions or onto other people where you are not 100% sure that they will be cared for.

12. There is no shame in euthanasia for a horse owner. Always better a week too early then a second too late. Do not judge anyone for their reasons for doing this.

13. Most clients fall Into two categories. Those who are "high maintenance", open in their opinions and will confront situations head on. The second is the quiet type who will not say a word and will not openly talk with you about their expectations or issues. You have no idea they have a problem until it's too late. The people in between these two are the clients you want. They will be long term and make life easy.

14. Know your worth. KNOW YOUR WORTH. Your time and experience has a monetary value. Don't do things for free, even if you like the person. Every bit of time or effort you give to clients has value. So when you don't value your effort, neither will a client. They will come to expect "freebies", which always leads to resentment from someone.

15. Be honest. It's not always easy. But in this business it takes forever to build reputation and seconds to destroy it.

16. Remember horses are dangerous. Always use your best judgment and air on the side of caution when working with horses and students. Their lives and your own life can change in an instant.

17. Get paid up front. Keep good records. People don't go to the grocery store and ask for food they will pay for next week. Good business practices keep everyone honest and sets boundaries for clients.

18. Normalize passing on price increases. Service industries, especially ones like ours always "feel guilty " when raising prices. You are not there to subsidize someone else's horse habit. Prices have been going up on costs, so should your fees.

19. The buck stops with you. Your employees mistakes fall back to your responsibility. Always verify and check on important care aspects of daily activities.

20. Make time for family and rest. Too many of us get burnt out from the stress of expectations in this industry. In the end, boarders and students come and go. Your family is who you will have left.

Thanks for reading my thoughts. I hope it can help support some of you feeling burnt out, and maybe help some people who are starting out in their journey into this industry.

Written by Rhea Distefano

07/03/2023

If you’re needing pictures of your horses, whether for advertising purposes or just because, give Homer Marie Photos a shout! She does an amazing job!

06/15/2023

Swipe right for a Spicy glow up!
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From a 2 year old on our 8th ride to becoming a productive ranch horse as a 4 year old. I can’t help but stop and stare at her sometimes 😍 I am really excited with how she’s coming along!
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Be on the lookout: she might be offered for sale here later this summer!

05/27/2023

This little mare has reminded me lately how much of an art horsemanship is. She’s confirmed theories I’ve had and broken a couple down too.
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Jess is a two year old who came to me with a solid foundation I could build on. We had a very victorious ride yesterday that wouldn’t seem to be any sort of big deal usually. It was a short and easy ride, but the vast majority of it, I was able to keep my hands down and she traveled straight away from home. In contrast, there’s been a lot of zig-zagging from her and a lot of work on my end to maintain speed a direction away from home.
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I fully agree that wet saddle blankets and miles make good horses. However, the last couple years I’ve realized how important it is for me to have a relaxed horse from the moment I step on, even if they’re “fresh”. Instead of trying to get her tired, I switched gears and we went for a leisurely little trail ride. I wanted to help her enjoy going out and exploring with just me.
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Jess really challenged me to evaluate her mental state and figure out how I could best help satisfy her needs instead of what I thought she needed. I just really appreciated this little experience and the results I’ve already seen with her, so I thought I’d share 😊

05/01/2023

I’ve got more hats in stock, and this time I got a little more creative with the colors! Huge thanks to Mountain Mama's Embroidery & Screen Printing here in Kremmling for the great work they do in helping me promote my business!
$15/hat
Let me know if you’d like one. A couple have the extra slit for a ponytail!

04/06/2023

We are home from Texas! We went from 80+ degree days back to several feet of snow and highs of 35!
I am so grateful to for letting us stay and ride with them for a few months. I was also able to ride a couple outside horses while I was down there. Beau got a start to being a ranch sorting horse and Fritz got a start to maybe being a breakaway horse down the road. They were a lot of fun to have around! Thanks to their owners for trusting me with them!
📸🎞 by .marie.photos

02/20/2023

We all have these self-imposed timelines of when we want our horses to be at a certain level, but the truth is, horse's don't know when they are supposed to "make it."

If your horse is 6 and hasn't entered a jackpot yet...
If you had to give your horse time off after an injury...
If you had to take a step back from riding to focus on your family...
If your work schedule hasn't allowed you the time you need to ride...
If your horse is just taking a little longer to develop...

You are not behind.

Each person’s timeline and priorities will look a little different. As such, each person’s progression will happen at a different pace. And, that’s okay. Allow yourself to enjoy the pace of your journey. The timing is not wrong. You are right where you need to be today.

02/04/2023

Training horses is a daily battle of building confidence.

Every time you interact with your horse, you are either building confidence or destroying it. There is no in between.

If you are too concerned about the timeline of when your horse "should" be to a certain level, you can easily destroy the confidence you've built by pushing your horse into a situation it is not prepared to handle.

Focus less on the timeline and more on the quality and frequency of repetitions. Make this one small shift in your focus, and I promise, you'll get much further, faster.

01/19/2023

This is spot on about Zeus, Cee Heart Docs Sprat ❤️ He’s not fancy or super athletic, but I didn’t know how much I loved a solid bay until I got him! He’s the one I saddle when I need something reliable, my heart is always full after riding him (even on his goofy days), and I don’t plan to ever send him to a new home.

Copied:

Everyone has that one special horse. Often termed their "heart horse". But what does that mean?
They are the ones you never think of in terms of monetary value because no amount of money could buy them from you.
They are the ones that elevate you as a horseman but also always keep you grounded.
They are the ones that nourish your soul and give your mind & heart sustenance in the same way food gives your body sustenance.
They are the ones you truly enjoy even on their worst days, and the first one you go to on your worst day.
They are teachers that continue to teach us in a way that always resonates with us.
They are the ones we can always rely on.
They are the ones that, no matter how much we do for them, we always feel indebted to.
They are the ones who raise the standard for us & the ones we compare every other horse to.
🖤They are the ones that are irreplaceable🖤

01/12/2023

Some people won't want to take the time to get there but it's worth it.

01/02/2023

🎆 Happy New Year 🎆
It’s safe to safe 2022 did not pan out like I expected or planned. It was in the way that God blessed my business more than I ever even thought to hope for!
I’ve tried to be fairly picky on what horses I take in for training. That, paired with the fact that I’m a new horse trainer hidden in the mountains, has meant only a handful of outside horses the first couple of years that I started BM Performance and Ranch Horses.
I never would’ve expected to have the opportunity to ride as many outside horses as I did in 2022! And even better, there were some really REALLY nice, fun young horses! And EVEN better: I couldn’t have asked for any better customers throughout the year. To those who sent your horses to me: Thank you so much!
I feel so blessed to get to live this life! The places the Lord has taken me through horses is mind boggling, but I’m loving it all.
I’m down in Texas for a few months, staying warmer than Colorado 😉 I’m not even going to try to imagine what all 2023 may have in store, but I’m ready to take it on!

12/15/2022

There’s a new kid in town! This is Flynn. (I’ve had a heck of a time deciding on a name for him, so if I put it on social media, it better be permanent!) He is a coming two year old and my newest project. Just within a week’s worth of ground work, he is making leaps and bounds! I’m very much looking forward to getting to riding him.
I’m grateful to the Downey’s in Fowler, CO for another great c**t ❤️

11/28/2022

With winter coming on and having a few big trips the past month, I haven’t been horseback very much. I managed to get Zeus out in the wind and cold today to shut some gates out in the pasture. We’ve just got a few more days at home until me and my ponies take off a new adventure! Stay tuned for an exciting update!

10/27/2022

By Jane Smiley
Most horses pass from one human to another - some horsemen and women are patient and forgiving, others are rigorous and demanding, others are cruel, others are ignorant.
Horses have to learn how to, at the minimum, walk, trot, canter, gallop, go on trails and maybe jump, to be treated by the vet, all with sense and good manners.
Talented Thoroughbreds must learn how to win races, and if they can't do that, they must learn how to negotiate courses and jump over strange obstacles without touching them, or do complicated dance like movements or control cattle or accommodate severely handicapped children and adults in therapy work.
Many horses learn all of these things in the course of a single lifetime. Besides this, they learn to understand and fit into the successive social systems of other horses they meet along the way.
A horse's life is rather like twenty years in foster care, or in and out of prison, while at the same time changing schools over and over and discovering that not only do the other students already have their own social groups, but that what you learned at the old school hasn't much application at the new one.
We do not require as much of any other species, including humans.
That horses frequently excel, that they exceed the expectations of their owners and trainers in such circumstances, is as much a testament to their intelligence and adaptability as to their relationship skills or their natural generosity or their inborn nature. That they sometimes manifest the same symptoms as abandoned orphans - distress, strange behaviors, anger, fear - is less surprising than that they usually don't.
No one expects a child, or even a dog to develop its intellectual capacities living in a box 23 hours a day and then doing controlled exercises the remaining one.
Mammal minds develop through social interaction and stimulation.
A horse that seems "stupid", "slow", "stubborn", etc. might just have not gotten the chance to learn!
Take care of your horses and treasure them.

10/17/2022

10/09/2022

We’ve been having too much fun to be getting much for decent pictures, but horses are getting lots of good saddle time during fall work! I’ve been thrilled to watch Spicy blossom just in the past couple weeks! Her first real job was helping neighbors gather and sort pairs, and she continues to feel and work better and better whether we’ve helped preg check or gather and ship yearlings (on a very cold morning too).
Lucky and Copper (customer horses) also got some good days in before they headed back home.
This is my favorite time of the year! Colorado gets very colorful, the weather is cooler, and there’s lots of cattle work to be done horseback!

04/12/2022

I’ve been riding for 18 years and just recently am feeling like I’m really progressing in my horsemanship. Not enough to feel like I’m figuring it all out, but enough to be getting hungry to learn more! It’s a fun journey 😊

In your horsemanship journey, there will be many humbling moments and experiences. But, I think that is exactly what makes this journey so impactful. It is filled with moments that challenge you.

When you are in the midst of a challenging season, it can be hard to keep your confidence up. But years later, when you look back on those moments, it’s easy to see how those moments shaped you and equipped you with the experiences you needed to get to the next level.

Stay the course, and keep working. Remember, the challenges always come before the victory.

03/21/2022

Got to escape to Texas from the Colorado cold and spent a few days playing with . Being in a tshirt was a nice change from multiple layers!
Photos by Homer Marie Photos

03/03/2022

Spring is getting closer! We’re getting tired of the cold, but thankful for the snow we’ve had this year!
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The geldings have been getting ridden a little when it’s been warm the past month, but today was Spicy’s first ride since November. Uneventful, as things always seem to be with her!
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I am very much looking forward to all the horse things 2022 has in store! Bring it on 😎

12/25/2021

Merry Christmas 🎄
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Wishing you all a great family and love filled day. Remember the reason we celebrate today is Jesus choosing to leave heaven and join us here on Earth.
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I’m feeling very grateful for all this year held, and we’re looking forward to all 2022 holds!
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We also got some much needed snow yesterday to make it really feel like Christmas around here ❤️

10/28/2021

Felt like I needed to document this particular season, so I enlisted the help of my favorite photographer .marie.photos !
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Wanted to capture this place and these horses at this point in my life. Thankful for the opportunities the Lord has given me and looking forward to tackling whatever He may have in the future!
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Near future consists of snow and basketball season though, so for now, hunker down and grow that fluffy hair, horses!

09/28/2021

We had a successful trip to Billings and back this past weekend! Angus is now in Idaho and Ruby now resides in Wyoming. Thank you to the buyers and good luck with your new horses! Thank you to Billings Livestock Horse Sale as well for putting on a wonderful sale

09/15/2021

ONLINE – HANK THE HANCOCK – 2018 AQHA Black Gelding x Idaho Blue Man x Blue
Man Gist out of Jon Reed Lady x Funny B Rojo Blue. Angus stands 14.3hh. You rarely find
one with this good of a mind, let alone a three year old. He was started in a feedlot then
ridden all summer on the ranch, checking/gathering/sorting yearlings. Quick learner and
tries his best every single time. Smooth gaits, gentle, no silliness, sweet personality. He's
fun to use to get a job done and he'll be the one you put grandma and the kids on in a year
or two. Has a great foundation and ready to finish your way. This is one you don't want to
pass by! FMI 970-531-3054. Flying lead changes, walking over tarp, bareback/halter all
in video. https://youtu.be/jbA9RG_aWRk Coggins. SO1

09/05/2021

Angus is one sweet boy!
•Same horse day in and day out
•Smooth at all gaits
•Friendly and gentle
He’s one that will be loved by the whole family, whether you need to take him out to get a job done or go for a trail ride!
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Consigned to Billings Livestock Sale—September 25! Message me for more info on this fantastic 3 year old gelding!

08/18/2021

‼️EXCITING NEWS‼️
I am super excited to announce that Angus and Ruby are consigned to the Billings Livestock Sale September 24-25! More pictures, videos, and info to come on these two fantastic three year olds!
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07/13/2021

🔷FOR SALE🔷
Ruby is a 2018 sorrel AQHA mare. She stands 14hh.
Located in Kremmling, CO, asking $5,500
Really cute with a gorgeous long mane. She’s got about 60 rides, mostly in the arena, but been outside and moved cows too. She rides alone just fine, crosses water.
Performance horse prospect, I bought her hoping to make a cowhorse/sorting horse out of her. Life changes and not ideal facilities making it look like she’s better off with someone else.
She’s been worked on the flag, got natural drawback through her turns especially on live cattle in the pasture. Bred for speed, Moon Justice didn’t get to race, but came from a jockey who said he could run as much as any horse he’d rode. Susie Up was used in match races then bred when her career ended.
This filly is cinchy, not the kind you want to buy for your 12 yr old daughter for her next 4H project.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0OthoswaInU

06/23/2021

I can make a general in five minutes, but a good horse is hard to replace.
》Abraham Lincoln
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📷: .marie.photos

05/17/2021

We have cattle again!! Yesterday was the first out of four days we will be receiving cattle.
Angus got up close and personal with our new additions today.
I love riding horses, but having a job for them and me to partner together to get done makes it so much more fun! Let the summer/busy season begin 🤩
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05/15/2021

Not too bad for this 3 year old filly’s 13th ride!
I can’t say I’ve ever had one come along this quickly. For her to let me handle her this well and so responsive to my hands and legs is really fun!
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