W Spur Horsemanship

01/16/2025

Would you let someone else ride your horse?

I see a lot in the horse industry people discussing other people letting someone ride their horses and there is a lot of people out there that are protective of their horses only allowing a select few ride their own horses. I can understand the mindset behind this as a lot can go wrong, but for me unless there is a safety issue with it I have no problem letting anyone ride my horses. Lots of people seem to think that a single person can ruin your horses progress or training, but the reality of the situation is if you’ve done a good job training your horse it’s going to take a lot more than a single ride to undo that training.

It can take years to undo a horses training if it’s done correctly and consistently. For example, my little red dun mustang Fillinic, I got her as a two year old and had her for a year. I started her under saddle and got all the fundamentals she needed and had a truly concrete solid foundation. I ended up selling Fillinic and she was ridden by a lot of beginners and inexperienced people over four years. I ended up buying her back after she had developed some dangerous behaviors like bolting, bucking and rearing. There was a little bit of time where Fillinic had tried to do some of these antics with me, but quickly remembered that I don’t scare so easily. The first ride even Fillinic was still showing the original training I had given her. It took a couple of weeks to get the softness back, but it was all still there and I was essentially able to pick up right where I left off in her training despite being ridden improperly for 4 years and only having a single year of solid training.

Another horse I had was Rusty a Hancock mare I had purchased from a family friend. Rusty hadn’t been touched let alone ridden in 15 years since she was 4 when we had gotten her. I put a few days groundwork on this mare before throwing a leg over and as soon as I stepped in that saddle I knew that she was started right and remembered all that training. She had a fantastic handle on her and seemed like she had been ridden routinely within the last 15 years despite not even being touched.

Both these mares have been go to horses for me to throw beginners and inexperienced riders on to ride because I knew that their training had been done right. Fillinic is now in the bridle and I give beginner lessons on her all of the time as well as let people who never ridden ride her before. She knows when I step in the saddle what I’m asking and she’ll do it without hesitation because I’ve been consistent and thorough with her training. Like I said the only reason I wouldn’t allow someone to ride my horses is due to safety issues. My mare Reba is one I let a select few ride because she’s sensitive and hot. If a rider is unbalanced on her she has a tendency to get stressed, but over the last few years I’m letting more and more people ride her so that she can be accustomed to other riders and learn to relax and go with the flow because it’s beneficial for her to have other riders and learn those things.

So if you’ve done right by your horse and been consistent and thorough with your training letting another person ride them won’t ruin them, in fact it can be very beneficial for your horse to be ridden by numerous people of all levels. The biggest mistake I’ve made with Reba is by being the only person to ride her for so long. I am a firm believer that the best thing you can do for your horses is train them well enough so that if anything happens to you, you’ll know they’ll end up in good hands. Which part of training your horses is then being able to be ridden

01/16/2025

What’s one of the biggest issues in the horse industry? OPINIONS!

We all know the saying “Opinions are like @**holes, everyone has one.” Where I truly do believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I also believe that an opinion based off feelings without education or real life experiences isn’t an opinion, it’s ignorance. Which the definition of ignorance is: lack of knowledge or information. In today’s day and age with social media these “opinions” spread like wildfire and like minded, uneducated individuals take over social media.

Every time I open social media I am bombarded by these cases. I see freeze branding videos and the comments are flooded with abuse allegations. I see pictures of spade bits and commenters loosing their minds in the comments. Heck it doesn’t take but 2 minutes to find something on Facebook where people are flooding the comments with pure ignorant comments based off how they feel and not facts. As I’ve said before and I’ll say time and time again “feelings aren’t facts and never will be”. No matter how much you feel things are or should be doesn’t make it the way it actually is, and too many people base opinions off feelings.

Where it is a good thing to have opinions on matters like training methods, equipment, care of horses, and just overall moral values and ethics of training and riding horses, it is a super dangerous thing to have an opinion that is based solely off feelings with no education on the subject. Strong opinions that are not educated are just gossip and gossip isn’t beneficial to the industry in any way. If anything all it does is break it apart and isolate people within it. Anyone in the horse industry can tell you an experience they have had that has turned their view of it sour and 9/10 those experiences are from people being ignorant either their opinions.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to a public event with my horse and pulled out my spade bit and the uneducated lost their minds. One of the saddest parts too is that the uneducated have the loudest “opinions”. These opinions have actually caused a lot of the well educated and amazing horseman to isolate themselves and refrain from sharing their knowledge due to those blind with emotion refusing to have an open mind and unwilling to listen let alone learn.

The horseman out there that should be leading the way and helping others have given up and I’ve seen the horse industry take a turn because of it. Seeking respect from your horse is now abuse. Being a proper leader is abuse. Using a bit is abuse. Putting shoes on your horses is abuse. Because of this the standard for true horsemanship and being a great horseman bar is set so low. A well behaved horse that simply stands tied without pacing is considered an amazing accomplishment. A horse that loads in a trailer is well trained. A horse that hasn’t bucked you off is considered broke. Next time you start to have a strong opinion on something and have the need to express it think

Is it educated? Have I done research on this?

Is it experienced? Have I personally experienced this enough times to know how it works?

Is it helpful? Does it add knowledge and experience?

Is it based of experience and knowledge? or is it feelings?

Is it factual?

01/16/2025

I don’t want the horse to get trained, because training the horse is absolutely finite. But if you get the horse to where he operates as if to be your legs, an extension of you, you’ve far-exceeded that whole training notion.

01/16/2025

Stay coachable. **tstarting

01/06/2025

Don't let fear get in the way of your dreams.

01/06/2025

There is a difference between a rider and a trainer…

01/03/2025

This is the truth about starting horses at 2 and backed by science. If you start them slow and as they age add on the workload it actually benefits horses in the long run creating more hardy and sturdy horses. Saying you should never start a horse as two is like saying no kid should be allowed to do sports until they are 25. You don’t expect Jr High kids football to play like a NFL player do you? No.

Incorporating early training strategies for two-year-olds can have transformative benefits in the Western performance horse world, fostering sounder prospects with increased career longevity. While these benefits are well-documented in racing disciplines, they directly apply to the physical demands of Western performance events, such as reining, cutting, and cow horse competitions.

Early Training in Western Performance Horses

1. Stronger Skeletal Development: Western performance horses require significant joint stability and bone density to handle the quick stops, spins, and turns that are staples of disciplines like reining. Early, controlled training stimulates bone remodeling, creating denser, more robust skeletal structures. This reduces the risk of stress fractures and soft-tissue injuries later in life

2. Enhanced Longevity: Horses started at two years old often experience longer careers due to their bodies’ adaptability to stress. In the Western performance world, longevity is crucial, as these horses often compete for many years. Early training ensures their musculoskeletal systems are prepared for repeated high-impact movements

3. Injury Prevention: Starting with training at two years old can help prevent overuse injuries commonly seen in horses introduced to intense work later. By gradually exposing them to the physical demands of performance, young horses develop resilience, reducing the risk of injuries like suspensory strains and joint degradation.

4. Behavioral and Mental Development: Early training doesn’t just build physical strength—it also fosters mental maturity. Horses exposed to structured work early tend to be more confident and focused under saddle, key traits for success in Western disciplines.

Reflecting These Benefits in the Industry

Western performance horses often undergo rigorous schedules, including futurities that begin at three years old. Preparing a two-year-old with appropriate training & riding ensures that by the time they enter the competitive arena, they are physically and mentally ready. This preparation contributes to a longer competitive life, allowing these horses to perform at peak levels beyond their futurity years.

Best Practices for Starting Two-Year-Olds

• Controlled Exercise: Begin with low-impact activities, such as groundwork, longeing, and light riding, to gradually build strength and coordination.

• Professional Oversight: Work closely with veterinarians and trainers to monitor growth and development, avoiding overloading young horses.

• Customized Nutrition: Provide a diet tailored to support bone and joint health, such as supplements rich in calcium, phosphorus, and omega-3 fatty acids.

By applying evidence-based practices to Western performance horse training, the industry can produce sounder, more competitive athletes capable of thriving in demanding events for years to come. Early training is not about rushing development but preparing young horses to meet the challenges of their future careers with resilience and strength.

For a more in-depth understanding, you can explore sources such as:

[Paulick Report] https://bit.ly/4iVCrVP

[Texas A&M] https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/00966654-27f2-44ea-ba3d-f3ba60c0b62b/content

[Pub Med] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2100207/

[Mississippi State] http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/breaking-horses-not-bones-properly-raising-young-horses-avoid-costly-injuries

From the www.WZEQUINE.com blog!

10/25/2024

Comfort is the worst addiction.

I saw a post on Facebook the other day with a photo that said “comfort is the worst addiction”. I’ve been thinking about this in terms of the horse industry as I strive to make the horse industry a better place. I am passionate about sharing my knowledge and experience with others so that they can grow in their horsemanship.

One of the biggest struggles I have with the horses industry is that many people involved in it really aren’t actually willing to learn. If you ask anyone involved in it they’ll tell you they’re always willing to learn more but I have come to realize it’s said more so because it’s a expectation to be said, but the reality of the situation is that they really aren’t willing to learn anything that’s outside their comfort zone. When I started thinking on addiction to comfort in the horse industry it all started to make sense!

If you think about what addiction actually is, when you are addicted to something anytime anyone brings up your addiction to you and talk about how your addiction is negatively impacting your life you get defensive and try to justify it, and you try to reason with the person on why you need it. And when that person tells you that it still is bad for you, you get mad and shut them out. Take me and redbull for example. I love redbull, if I’m going to any social event, grocery shopping or am going to do anything of significance that day I feel like I need a redbull to get through it. When someone brings it up to me how bad they are for you I get defensive and try to justify it by saying I have ADHD and it helps calm my mind. Then I try and reason with the person on it and when they still say “Well Sara they are still bad for you” I get upset and quit listening.

I see the same pattern of behavior with the horse industry and their addiction to comfort. How many posts and videos have I made about how the mechanics of a Tom Thumb bit and mechanical hackamore are complete trash. I’ve laid out the proof in front of people showing why these mechanics are poor and how they effect your horses response. Yet I still get comments on every post of people trying to justify the use of it “Well it’s what I’ve ridden my horse in for x amount of years”, or reason with me on why “Well it’s the only thing I can control my horse in”. And when I still tell them that the mechanics are poor and there’s no reason why they can’t switch to a better kinder option they get mad and shut me out. It’s because they are addicted to the comfort of these things. Throwing away these devices would mean stepping out of your comfort zone and being uncomfortable trying something new.

When you become addicted to comfort in your horsemanship journey you really aren’t open minded enough to really grow and learn. Because the proof is put in front of you on why these things aren’t good to use and are poor quality and yet you still try to defend your use of it by trying to justify and reason on why you use it. When you are addicted to comfort things that make you uncomfortable make you upset. The comment section on my spade bit posts are proof of that. People see a spade bit and it makes them uncomfortable and they get angry despite having proof of how my horses learn and operate in them. If you weren’t addicted to comfort you would be able to see the proof behind the training and understanding the concept behind it.

If you’re only willing to learn within the bounds of your comfort zone and keep yourself in a small little box you will never be able to actually improve. You may be able to take little bitty baby steps within the box you’ve closed yourself in, but you’ll never be able to make leaps and bounds of progress and reach your full potential.

Being addicted to comfort in your horsemanship journey will ruin you as a horseman. I didn’t get to the point I’m at today by staying inside my comfort bubble. I didn’t get to where I can take untouched mustangs and turn them into bridle horses and ride them entirely bridleless by being comfortable the whole time. I grew up riding in Tom thumbs and mechanical hackamores. I was taught when a horse stopped responding to the snaffle get a bigger bit with more leverage. I didn’t grow past that by being comfortable.

The first handful of times I started c**ts in a traditional hackamore without using a snaffle first I was terrified to to get on because I didn’t truly believe if the horse blew up I would have any control. But I pushed myself to do it and I can’t to find I preferred to start my horses in a traditional hackamore and that it set my horses up better for what I wanted them to be in the future.

Part of what makes a great horseman is always striving to grow and better yourself and being self accountable for the mistakes you have made. If you are addicted to comfort you’ll never be able to do those things because if you limit yourself by the box you’ve put yourself in where your comfortable you limit yourself on how much you can learn and grow. If you’re addicted to comfort and you are defending and justifying the mistakes you’ve made you’re not being accountable.

10/25/2024

The bar is set so low for studs you have to dig 6 feet in the ground to even find it.

One thing that amazes me in the horse world is that stud horses blow people’s minds when you can do basic level horse things with them. For example, if I were to go and catch one Reba in a rope halter tie and tie her at the tail. Then I go and grab another mare and tie her next to her. I brush off both the mares, saddle Reba, bridle her, get on and pony the other mare down the road. Nothing impressive at all right? Now make Reba a stud horse in that scenario, peoples minds would be blown.

To me being able to handle a stud in a basic halter, or ride out in a mixed group of horses is not some special achievement for them. To me it’s the participation trophy of horsemanship. Congratulations, you gave them basic manners that’s expected of all horses. When I was cowboying studs were treated just like every other horse on the ranch. They had the same expectations for manners and behavior as every other horse that was there. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken my mares while in heat to gather cattle, brand, compete in a ranch rodeo, load in a trailer with others and there would be one or multiple studs in the mix of horses there and never had any issues. Even with my mare tied next to one at the trailer.

The only thing that should set your stud apart from any other horse in the area is their… “physical features” they were allowed to keep. A stud achieving the basics manners, handling and behavior every other horse is expected to follow isn’t a special achievement, it’s just horsemanship.

10/24/2024

Wanting to host a clinic?

We’re opening our books for 2025 for clinics!
We have a variety of clinics already in the works with some other amazing horseman with Stache Ranch, Sarah McDaniel Horsemanship, Mark Jenkins Horsemanship and more! If you are interested in hosting a clinic contact me and let’s get the ball rolling on bettering horsemanship!

10/03/2024

First impressions are lasting ones, even when it comes to c**t starting. It’s so important that you send your horses off to be started by someone not just knowledgeable in starting c**ts, but someone who knows how to finish a horse as well. A good foundation on a horse is hard to ruin. Someone who trains horses can get on a horse and tell whoever originally started that horse knew what they were doing. Don’t just send your c**ts off to some kid who doesn’t mind being bucked off, send them to someone who has the horses future in mind.

09/24/2024

The Ultimate Ranch Horse Clinic in cottonwood Idaho with was a hit! Every horse left being hobble broke, roped off of, and working cattle. Was an awesome opportunity to teach proper techniques for horsemanship and stockmanship! Looking forward to doing more in the future.

08/31/2024

3 year old QH gelding 14.3 HH. Frankie is available through Embrace Equine Ministry - Wild Hope. He’ll be finished with his training here soon and ready for his new forever home. Frankie has the “born broke” temperament and has just the right amount of whoa and go. He’s very willing and eager to please. He’s got a ton of potential to go in many directions. He would excel at ranch horse riding, trial horse, pleasure horse, even a kids 4 H horse with some more miles under saddle. Correction to the video this is ride 6 not 5 regardless he’s amazing boy. Owner is asking 6️⃣5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣

I do not own the rights to this music.

08/31/2024

08/15/2024

“They’re just a trail horse”

It always pets my peeves just a little when you try to encourage someone to work with their horse more and gain more control and you get the “he’s just a trail horse. He doesn’t need all of that fancy stuff”. First off having full control of your horses body isn’t “fancy stuff” it’s the basics. Second off, trail horses need to be some of the most well equipped horses mentally and physically for the job. There are countless scenarios, environments and obstacles your horse needs to overcome. So being able to control where you put your horses feet is CRUCIAL for your safety and THEIRS. Even my well trained, been there done that ranch horses have encountered obstacles on the trail they are unsure of. I can rope a bull and drag it into a trailer, halter break 1,200 c**ts, ride down a highway on Reba, but the first time we encountered a bridge over water she was having second thoughts.

There’s a lot of rough country that I’ve ridden on my horses and there’s only been two times in my life while riding my finished horses that I felt the need to step off and lead my horse through an obstacle because I felt it was unsafe to do so. I don’t ever really ever have many scenarios or obstacles (even new ones) that I’ve encountered where I don’t trust my finished horses to carry me through safely. The reason why is because I have control of where my horses feet go. If I come across a big slick rock in the trail I can tell my horse to take their left front foot and step over the rock and not on it. If I come across a bridge with a giant hole in it I can tell my horses to step over not in it. If I come to a sketchy part of the trail I don’t have to question my horses footing because I can evaluate and tell my horse where their feet go to ensure our safety. I can move my horses ribs so my legs don’t get caught on tree limbs and so much more.

So you see all these “fancy things” aren’t fancy. It’s basic control so you can ensure safety. I’ve had so many people refuse to go to clinics, take lessons or just work and expand their horse’s knowledge and control because, well “it’s just a trail horse. All you need to do is point and shoot down the trail”. But when you have countless scenarios that can happen, unknown obstacles and more having true control of a horse is the only way to ensure your safety. It doesn’t matter how gentle a horse is, without control of their body and feet you can’t promise safety for your horse. Your horse may step on that slippery rock and fall (which is how I broke my leg on day 3 of a 10 pack trip in the back country). All the times I’ve been injured riding a horse (or a horse has been injured) is because of the lack of control I had and the horse has made a bad step, fall or decision.

Buck is 100% correct with saying “These folks who say, Nah, I don't need all that fancy riding stuff. I just want to trail ride.
That's like saying, I'm going to die out in the trees instead of in the arena.”

Most injuries happen from lack of control.
Control = safety

08/15/2024

“They’re just a trail horse”

It always pets my peeves just a little when you try to encourage someone to work with their horse more and gain more control and you get the “he’s just a trail horse. He doesn’t need all of that fancy stuff”. First off having full control of your horses body isn’t “fancy stuff” it’s the basics. Second off, trail horses need to be some of the most well equipped horses mentally and physically for the job. There are countless scenarios, environments and obstacles your horse needs to overcome. So being able to control where you put your horses feet is CRUCIAL for your safety and THEIRS. Even my well trained, been there done that ranch horses have encountered obstacles on the trail they are unsure of. I can rope a bull and drag it into a trailer, halter break 1,200 c**ts, ride down a highway on Reba, but the first time we encountered a bridge over water she was having second thoughts.

There’s a lot of rough country that I’ve ridden on my horses and there’s only been two times in my life while riding my finished horses that I felt the need to step off and lead my horse through an obstacle because I felt it was unsafe to do so. I don’t ever really ever have many scenarios or obstacles (even new ones) that I’ve encountered where I don’t trust my finished horses to carry me through safely. The reason why is because I have control of where my horses feet go. If I come across a big slick rock in the trail I can tell my horse to take their left front foot and step over the rock and not on it. If I come across a bridge with a giant hole in it I can tell my horses to step over not in it. If I come to a sketchy part of the trail I don’t have to question my horses footing because I can evaluate and tell my horse where their feet go to ensure our safety. I can move my horses ribs so my legs don’t get caught on tree limbs and so much more.

So you see all these “fancy things” aren’t fancy. It’s basic control so you can ensure safety. I’ve had so many people refuse to go to clinics, take lessons or just work and expand their horse’s knowledge and control because, well “it’s just a trail horse. All you need to do is point and shoot down the trail”. But when you have countless scenarios that can happen, unknown obstacles and more having true control of a horse is the only way to ensure your safety. It doesn’t matter how gentle a horse is, without control of their body and feet you can’t promise safety for your horse. Your horse may step on that slippery rock and fall (which is how I broke my leg on day 3 of a 10 pack trip in the back country). All the times I’ve been injured riding a horse (or a horse has been injured) is because of the lack of control I had and the horse has made a bad step, fall or decision.

Buck is 100% correct with saying “These folks who say, Nah, I don't need all that fancy riding stuff. I just want to trail ride.
That's like saying, I'm going to die out in the trees instead of in the arena.”

Most Injuries happen from lack of control.
Control = Safety