Empty rocker ranch

01/29/2025

Riding students/parents there are going to be some policy changes this spring, everyone will be sent a text message in the next few weeks.

01/02/2025

Ass in saddle time is key.

The more you ride, the better you become.

Even on the days the conditions are not ideal, you can walk your horse.

You can work on softness and feel.

You can concentrate on body control for yourself and your horse.

Stop making excuses.

Go to work.

www.betweenthereins.us

12/11/2024

❤️❤️So very true, we come across this often with running a retirement facility❤️❤️
We try to make this difficult decision as peaceful and beautiful as possible.

What does it really mean to "let them go on a good day?"

It means it will be your hardest day. It won't matter if you've never done it before, or if you're gifted a dozen good days, each good day is always the hardest one.

It means they won't know what the fuss is about, why they're getting so many treats and extra belly scratches and hugs.

It means you will second guess your decision right up to the very last moment, the very last breath. You'll second guess yourself afterwards.

They'll knicker at you when you arrive, just like any other day.

The weather, perfect. They are content. They look sound today. They are breathing well, eating well, they get up easily enough from a nap in the sun....the list goes on. Whatever issue they struggle with, today they aren't.

Today you euthanize them.

This is what going on a good day means: sending them out while they are happy, while they are healthy, while they are eating well, walking well, etc. You make the choice to do it before an emergency takes the choice away from you, before your horse has to experience any more trauma or pain.

Their last memory will be filled with love.

It'll rip your heart out every time.

We can see the patterns and the increasing trends. We can predict it a little. We can obsess over the past and worry about the future.

Fortunately, horses, all animals, live in the moment. They don't worry about those things. They aren't worried about winter. They aren't worried about July, or allergies, or progressive diseases like cushings or dsld. They don't think about the close calls they've had before, and they certainly aren't thinking about the close calls that are destined to come, as their body continues to age and break down. They just are. They are happy and healthy, or fearful and in pain, on that day, in that moment.

It is the most difficult, most loving gift we are blessed to be able to give.

And that first ice storm will come, that first deep snow, that first heat wave....and you will find a little relief, no longer doubting the choice you made.

They were happy, and safe, and loved. That is all that matters.

It is never easy. ~Kelly Meister, author

10/21/2024

LISTEN TO WHAT HES TELLING YOU

The horse will always tell you in the beginning what he wants to be. You can’t change that and sometimes it’s a hard pill to swallow.

As a c**t starter, I’ve seen a lot over a decade and a half as a public horse trainer if you want to label it that way. My reputation has been built two ways. Putting a great start on a horse or the last trainer to help a horse from getting their head chopped off and served on a platter in China.

We all have big plans for our horse whether he was bred to go earn an LTE in the cowhorse, that rescue you saved from the kill pen, or the second chance given to the horse that fell through the cracks due to the previous owner’s negligence.

Just remember that some reined cowhorses will excell as a rope horse. That horse with a late start may lack athletic ability but will be a safe trail horse. And that beefy kill pen horse that keeps looking at you with 50 first date vibes, and won’t stop bucking…

Well he’s telling you that he wants to be a bronc in the practice pen. He ain’t even going to be a saddle horse and gotta believe him! So the question is, are you going to listen to what the horse is telling you?

- Lucia Clemetson

10/05/2024

Never make fun of someone's passion because that's the thing that saves them from the world.

09/16/2024

🍁💨🍂
Time to swap those fly sheets for something warmer like thin blankets make sure to drop them off at the barn, or we all will be facing a barn full of cold and grumpy horses on these crisp fall mornings!😆

08/29/2024

From our cousins in TX❤️❤️

I'll be in the barn.
By Vivian (Kahl) Jones

When people have come to visit over the years they commonly hear from me I'll be in the barn.
When life gets hard I'll be in the barn.
When things are just right I'll be in the barn.
When the sun shines
The rain falls, or snow covers the ground
I'll be in the barn.

If things seem to be falling apart or if I'm celebrating the simple things, I'll be in the barn.
When I'm looking for answers or trying to clear my mind, I'll be in the barn.

When I'm looking for myself, I'll be in the barn.
If I'm working or trying to relax, I'll be in the barn.

Even when I'm not in the barn my mind drifts there, I find myself thinking about being in the barn.....
Soaking feed for the next day,
mucking or spreading manure,
how to fix a problem I've been having with horse, tack that needs cleaned or changed or mended, wounds that need doctored,
if I need to put on blankets or fly masks.

It's where I keep my riches
All my wins and my failures
Everyone of my hopes
Dreams
Hardships
And memories

You can find them all in the barn, buried in the hay, hiding under a saddle, spilling out of the feed bins, or glimmering with dust in the evening light.

I may be covered in dust, dirt, a mash feed, hair, and hay, smell of sweat and manure, and sometimes there may be blood or tears but I'll be there. I'll be in the barn.

So if your wondering where to find me, I'll be in the barn. If I'm not there I promise I'm on my way.

08/29/2024

NOT EVERYONE CAN HEAR THE SILENT LANGUAGE BETWEEN A HORSE AND RIDER. NOT EVERYONE CAN TRUST THEIR LIFE WITH A 1200 lb ANIMAL AND NOT EVERYONE HAS THE GUTS, SWEAT, TEARS AND DEDICATION NEEDED TO BE A PART OF THIS WORLD. BUT EQUESTRIANS ARE NO ORDINARY PEOPLE AND HORSES ARE NO ORDINARY ANIMALS.

08/19/2024

I hope your trainer doesn't give you what you want.

I DO hope your trainer gives you what you need, more importantly...what your horse needs.

There will always be someone willing to do it faster and flashier. There will always be someone willing to get you into the show ring on your time line instead of your horses. There will always be someone who will tell you only the things you want to hear. For the right price, there will always be someone.

I don't want that kind of someone...not for me and not for you all either.

So, choose your someone carefully.

Choose someone who values their process enough that they can't be swayed from it by demands and dollars. They know where they've been, where they're going and all of the things they've learned between. They put your horse first and show you the value in work that is centered around what the horse needs. They are your biggest supporter while remaining honest and realistic about what it takes to achieve your goals. The only promise they make, is that your horse will get better...and you will too. You pay them but at the same time, who they are at their core can't be bought. They live their truth each day, honest and humble.

That type of someone is priceless...

- Unknown

08/08/2024

We are offering on site photography with our beautiful horses, green pastures with white fencing, and gorgeous mountain view. Our photo sessions are priced by the hour. Whether you are looking for a magical unicorn, some classy senior portraits, or a romantic couples session.

One hour at our location with your choice of horse, groomed and your choice of english or western tack. Includes assistant to help pose the horse to your requests. You will need to supply a photographer, or take your own photos. DM for more details

Photos by:
Shayna Loveland

07/15/2024

Happy National I love horses day! ❤️❤️❤️
📷 : Shayna Loveland

06/22/2024

Black beauty Laddie after his spa day 💅🛁🫧

05/03/2024

Happy Friday!

04/16/2024

Spring is here 💜🧡🩷💚

04/07/2024

Be kind to your trainers.

•We Loose Sleep Over Your Horses
-Trying to figure out how to get them working their best
-Stressing over them not being as far ahead as we would like
-Thinking of ways to help your riding, better ways to explain, watching videos for inspiration

•We Work NONstop
-Out at the barn more than in the house
-Making phone calls giving updates
-Watching other trainers videos
-Riding Sundays if your horse is having a hard time

•Each Horse Has Their Own Timeline
-some horses may pick something up in a week, others will take months
-they all have strengths and weaknesses
-we can not force them to do what we want, exactly the way we want, in the time frame we want. They need to accept the training and try on their own

•We Are Always Learning
-Our "schooling" doesn't have a graduation date, it's a never ending education.
-We are trying our best.
-Each horse teaches you something different

•There's Much More to Training Than Riding
-mucking stalls, hours of brushing, feeding, watering, doctoring. It never ends

•We Love Your Horses, otherwise we wouldn't do this!
-we live for that soft nicker in the barn, the moment each horse figures out what you've been trying to show them, when everything you've been working at comes together in the show pen.

-DPH





Piper’s Zoo

04/02/2024

5am summer jumping sessions are the best!
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