Sunny Ranch Performance Horses

Sunny Ranch Performance Horses Sunny Ranch
Training•Lessons•Tune Ups•Barrel Racing
Over 10 years of experience

As a lot of y’all know we are adding a new ranch hand to the family! While celebrating our exciting news we are having t...
06/15/2023

As a lot of y’all know we are adding a new ranch hand to the family!
While celebrating our exciting news we are having to take a step back from lessons in some capacities.
Currently I will only be taking lessons for students on their own horses with special consideration for students who can tack up and manage one of mine independently on the ground.
In addition we will not be taking any client horses in for training at the barn this summer.
I deeply apologize to the clients I’m sure this may be disappointing but it is a decision we came to together as a family and with our doctor to keep our little one as safe as can be.
We want to thank all of our past, present, and future clients for celebrating this exciting time with us and for your patience as we settle into our next chapter ❤️

12/30/2022

What is the most underrated drill in the barrel race?

A small circle. Emphasis on small.

As trainers, our time is typically spent with other professional trainers and high level competitors. With that said, it’s easy to look past the simple, yet difficult task of loping a small circle.

It seems that the majority of barrel racers don’t lope small circles. Often times they are unable to get their horses to do this maneuver. Rather. the horse or the rider doesn’t have the needed body control to perform this task. Outside of skill, they sometimes they don’t posses the strength either.

Think about it from outside the box. If you are training for a strongman competition, would you be lifting heavy or distance running?

If you only lope big circles how can you expect to run small circles?

The physical training of those muscle groups is important.

Unfortunately, many of us ride horses that are not broke or responsive enough to do these controlled maneuvers. Unfortunately still, we don’t necessarily know they aren’t "broke".

Ride with more skilled riders. Learn more about body control. Learn about body mechanics. If you want to win, step up to the plate and master the fundamentals.

www.betweenthereins.us



📸: Bee Silva Photography

12/06/2022
12/03/2022

Smooth is fast.

Less is more.

Quiet hands, use your body. These horses follow our hips in a turn.

Ride with confidence. Know where you are going and how you are getting there.

Breathe, relax, this is supposed to be fun.

There will be another barrel race, if this one doesn’t go as planned it’s not end of the world.

Make it a great week my friends 🌻✨

📸Bee Silva




I saw a picture today that was “Share the Horse that Changed Your Life” and I immediately thought of Secret. The horse w...
04/14/2022

I saw a picture today that was “Share the Horse that Changed Your Life” and I immediately thought of Secret. The horse who has been there for my highest of highs and lowest of lows. The horse that could never have a price tag that would ever value what he means to me. Then I started thinking about Brandy. The horse that kept me sane while Secret was healing from his fight with cellulitis and being the best partner for him while he rested. Then I thought of Snowball. The horse that has taken care of so many kids and babies on her back. I look in my barn and I would be no where without these animals. So here’s to all the life changing horses 🤍

Said goodbye to a good one today. Canela is off to Colorado to meet her owner and work cattle. This s***ky red head defi...
01/17/2022

Said goodbye to a good one today. Canela is off to Colorado to meet her owner and work cattle. This s***ky red head definitely had her moments but she was a fun one to have for awhile. It’s always hard saying goodbye to the ones you’d be okay keeping in the herd.

Well Secret has decided to start the new year off right… with our last client for a little bit going home in a week, 202...
01/09/2022

Well Secret has decided to start the new year off right… with our last client for a little bit going home in a week, 2022 will be the year for the Sunny Ranch horses themselves…
Starting with Secret getting his first ride under saddle again today, a year after tearing his suspensory ligaments. This boy may never rodeo again but we at least get to ride trails and be a reminder for any new prospects what they have to live up to. Pretty great way to start our new year here.

About a two month update on the little red head, Canela.•The first month or so was spent watching over an injury from he...
12/21/2020

About a two month update on the little red head, Canela.

The first month or so was spent watching over an injury from her trying to jump over a car a few months prior to her coming to me. Long story short this one has some s***k and is going to keep me on my toes. After X-rays and some time with the vet, I took things slow to be sure not flare up any swelling left in her back legs. Unfortunately she is going to have some scar tissue probably for the rest of her life giving her some funky looking back legs but since being cleared by the vet for good, she is working more and more each week.

As any unstarted four year old, she needs some time to learn some manners first. A lot of ground work and firm patience with this one. Especially time at the patience pole. She has had the saddle on her a handful of times but only once with me in it and some steps of the walk. She is an incredibly explosive horse with very big baby reactions (I’ll post her audition to be a bucking horse in the comments lol). I am being very cautions for myself to avoid injury as well as not start any bad habits for her and give her the best foundation possible.

I’m looking forward to watching her grow and mature. I think she is definitely going to be one of the good ones and shows so much potential already. Also looking forward to being able to change up our day to day routine by trailering to the covered arena in our community as winter comes. This is something I haven’t had the luxury of before and I’m really excited for it.

A little bit of a bitter sweet update on the lil mare. Snowball came out of the trailer three weeks ago at my place whin...
10/22/2020

A little bit of a bitter sweet update on the lil mare. Snowball came out of the trailer three weeks ago at my place whinnying and running for my gelding, Secret. She cantered and threw little kicks turned out that I haven’t seen her do in so long. She whinnied to me every morning for her breakfast and waited for morning scratches. Unfortunately she did not have the same happiness at the therapy barn. She started kicking in her stall, her arthritis was acting up worse than ever and she was just plain sad. So we brought her home for good this week. I would be lying if i didn’t say i was happy to have her home. It breaks my heart to not see her doing what she loves with kids, but I always preach that we need to listen to our horses more, and this is her telling me what she wants. However we are not giving up on her. With the help of some incredible friends and my vet, we are starting her on Equiox to help manage her arthritis, as well as making some changes to her feet with my farrier. My vet is very hopeful that this will help get her sound again. You’re home for good my sweet lil mare ❤️

Welcome Canela! This little girl is a four year old quarter horse throughbred cross with a sweet personality. She is in ...
10/16/2020

Welcome Canela! This little girl is a four year old quarter horse throughbred cross with a sweet personality. She is in for some rehab on an old, but healing, injury as well as, to gain some weight. Then I will start breaking her and finishing as an all around or rope horse for her owner. I’m super excited to get this young girl started as soon as she’s in tip top shape again.

For those down in San Diego you know how special this grey mare is. For those who don’t... this is Snowball. She was one...
10/05/2020

For those down in San Diego you know how special this grey mare is. For those who don’t... this is Snowball. She was one of the lesson horses in the program I taught down in San Diego. Those bomb proof, one in a million horses you hear about? That’s her. My sweet girl finally came home with me last week. This week after some light therapy and tune up with me, she is off with my amazing neighbor to help in their therapy program. This girl loves kids and I’m so excited to see her have a purpose again, especially just minutes away still knowing her forever home is now with me.

09/18/2020

Throughout my entire childhood and teen years I only rode ba****ck. All the kids in our tiny town had horses, so the opportunities and inspiration for shenanigans were endless. Saddles took too much time. We grabbed the nearest things to put on their heads and raced away from the barn, from chores, homework and parent supervision, most days after school and always on the weekends. We ran to the river to go for a swim or up the power line roads to lope through the streams that fed the valley. When I wanted to disappear I lazily walked, sitting side-saddle or backwards, forgotten reins swinging side to side, up to the meadow in the foothills. I’d let my horse graze while I picked wildflowers for my fort, collected rocks, and ate my peanut butter and honey sandwich. On summer nights as a teen, I’d walk barefoot to the pasture and I’d lie on the big cranky but trusty mare’s back, head on her rump, with no halter or need for it. She would stand as long as I asked her to, as if she knew I needed her stoic energy as my mind whirled. I’d stare at the stars while coyotes yipped in the distance and pretend I was somewhere, and someone else. We rode them to school only to get sent back home, which secretly was the plan and seldom the destination as we’d return to school hours later with sweat marks from the horses backs on our backsides. I owe my sticky seat, and so much more, to all those adventures and my 52 year old self is grateful for the spirit and grit of that young girl who still inspires me to get on my horse and ride. I ride ba****ck as often as I can and lope the dirt roads, reins on the horse’s neck, and arms and heart open wide. Every time I do I’m reminded of the freedom of exploring my world, unsupervised and unbridled by the “should do’s” and “need to have’s” of today’s adult horsemanship. Sure I have bought and bought into all the things and thoughts we collect after a lifetime shared with horses, and horse people, because it was new or because I was told so. Some of them have remained core to my horsemanship and some I deconstructed to find the pieces that fit and discarded the rest. Its important to remind myself and my horses as often as I can that all these gadgets and all those opinions might not be meant for us. The older I get the more I value the idea of “less” and lean into the old ways rather than the newest things, less talk, less hands, less noise, less me and more horse. Opinions and gimmicks and gadgets might just be an impediment to finding success and joy on our journey.
Carrie Lynne

The blonde girls are bathed and loaded up for me to take them home. The past two months have been a challenge with these...
09/02/2020

The blonde girls are bathed and loaded up for me to take them home. The past two months have been a challenge with these two but I’m happy to say they are going home with some much better manners and more confidence. Consistency is key with these two and if that is kept up I really think they are an awesome pair. I’m excited to see how they do for their owners and continue to progress with some more experience under them. Luckily their owners came up to see me work them a few times so I’m able to send them home with some extra tools as well to help keep the girls on track.

Today was a HUGE day for the blonde girls. Both left property for the first time. Going solo was a big step again but th...
08/12/2020

Today was a HUGE day for the blonde girls. Both left property for the first time. Going solo was a big step again but they both went about 1/4 mile away from our property.

I was able to ride Gemma out but we hand walked back as her nerves started to get the best of her hearing her sister call for her at home.

Chloe made it very clear today that riding out was not on the agenda, and quite honestly getting dumped on the asphalt wasn’t on mine lol. But she still had to go out so on the lead rope it was. She did great with her hand walk and stayed an even pace even when headed home.

My next plan is to try using my mare to pony them out. Hopefully this will help with their nerves of being alone and we can go even farther.

Our first round of clients are here!•I first worked with Chloe (with the white face) and Gemma when they were 3 and 4. N...
06/28/2020

Our first round of clients are here!

I first worked with Chloe (with the white face) and Gemma when they were 3 and 4. Now that they are closer to 8 they’re here for a tune up so they’re owners can take them out for trail rides and putt around at home. They’ve settled into their barn stalls right away and seem pretty happy with their digs.

My two have mixed feelings. Secret is excited to have more girlfriends, while Brandy is pretty mad about the whole idea of sharing her boy.

They can settle in for today and tomorrow I’ll start getting these two back into shape. Super excited to get these s***ky girls going again.

I lost my sweet kitty, Sunshine, or as we always called her Sunny Girl, to her battle with kidney disease in March. Well...
06/27/2020

I lost my sweet kitty, Sunshine, or as we always called her Sunny Girl, to her battle with kidney disease in March. Well it was all because of her passing away that I even came up north for the weekend to see my family and ended up looking at houses in Tehachapi to keep distracted. And my fiancé Scott and I found the perfect place for us to live and for me to get back to training. So after months of work and help from our families working on the new ranch, we have come up with a name, Sunny Ranch.
Now that we are settled and finally caught up with clean up and repairs from the previous owners... I have my first client, or in this case clients, coming up this weekend. So we would like to introduce Sunny Performance Horses to everyone. I have been working and training other people’s horses since high school. Now I have the ability to, on top of still traveling for my regular hourly sessions, to offer monthly training at my own property. I am so excited to finally get back into what I love and have missed the last few months as we settle. I would love if anyone would want to check out our page and stay updated with the ranch and our clients new and old. I am starting small and limiting clients as we jump into this new chapter but am so excited to see this passion of mine grow with this new opportunity. I am so grateful for those who have given me the chance when I am still so young to do something I love so much.

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