J&W Performance Horses (2025)

07/04/2024

MindfulEquineLtd.com

03/04/2024

Send a message to learn more

18/02/2024

Small breeding program 🐎 ( often called backyard breeders ) .
To me there is simply quality breeding vs uneducated.
You can have a large or small breeding program and still not quality breeding results.
Don't take it wrong ,I admire many but do not discount what a small program can bring to the table. Education is key in everything.
Learn what to look for .
Ever ask yourself ,why do they keep those lines ,so long ? That horse hasn't shown , must not be a good one .
Now really , would you keep a something that wasn't a good horse, companion,work partner ? I wouldn't.
Small programs interact more with their horses . I believe in a horse being a horse but you definitely are more involved. Pasture scratches ,watching them play , personality.
When you are looking to purchase young horses . Don't overlook the small breeders , those 5-10 foals probably have had more thought out into their potential future than all those pedigree paper matches
Not all breeders have deep enough pockets to campaign on big scale , but given the chance is the dream of all small breeders .

18/01/2024

In so many clinics the gulf between the knowledge and experience of the clinician and that of some of the participants will be so wide that it can be and enormous challenge to begin to bridge that gap, especially if it is a group lesson for perhaps one hour or one hour and 15 minutes.

As just one example of possibly hundreds, the clinician may see that one of the riders uses an inside rein to try to pull the horse around and that the horse puts its head in the air, opens its mouth, and tries to evade the pressure.

This is not an uncommon sort of scenario. If that rider were to ride with that clinician several times a week for a number of months the horse and rider would be brought back to simple basics. The clinician would explain that rigid force only makes the horse become more rigid in response. There would be weeks of quiet and systematic suppling exercises, lots of basic and gentle leg yielding, perhaps, to explain to the horse how to move gently away from pressure, Many transitions, little intensity.

And in those many months, as the inexperienced rider begins to understand concepts and philosophies of training, much that now seems an unbridgeable gulf might become much less of a struggle.

But the clinician does not have weeks and months. If the clinician pauses the session to explain intricacies that can only be learned through significant study and practice, all the other riders will be bored, probably resentful of the time being spent on just one of the riders, and the rider in question probably won't understand it anyway, because complexities can’t be understood in the absence of study..

In real life these kinds of situations arise all the time in clinics. If there is an easy answer, a realistic solution, I don't know what it is. No clinic, no matter how accomplished the clinician, can ever take the place of consistent lessons from an educated teacher.

Clinics certainly have a place. When the groups are basically even in terms of level and experience, and the clinician teaches to that level, good takeaways can happen. But many times the clinician is expected to be some sort of miracle worker, and when the miracle doesn't happen, which realistically it cannot, sometimes the clinic participant goes away feeling frustrated and disappointed.

Do not go to a clinic expecting to learn how to ride. Something that takes many months, even years, is not going to happen in a couple of hours. Hope to find a few gold nuggets? That should be possible. Hope to learn a few things to work on at home? Absolutely. But be realistic about what a clinic can and cannot do, and probably it's best not to enter a clinic when you know very little about the clinician, and if you have too high expectations that don't mesh with reality

03/01/2024

There’s a growing disconnect right now that is pitting relationship against horsemanship. As though we would somehow be wrong to want both, rather than wholly one, or the other.

For the first time, we are being told that traditional skills and values are erroneous, scientifically and ethically. We are told that if we aim to be evolved horse(wo)men, we must ‘unlearn’ what we thought we knew for sure.

We are to go that place where we exist in energy and not prior experience. This means getting into our bodies and entirely out of our heads. This is a place where we are not learning mundane equitation skills, like ‘heads up, heels down’, nor are we asking our horses to struggle or serve.

This new mindset is reflected in my own page and the pages of countless other ‘traditional’ horse(wo)men, people who are involved in the business of teaching people how to ride and how to look after their horses, as a matter of husbandry. Any post that will teach a rider correct equitation or useful horse training techniques, will pale in comparison to the reactions and comments on a post on feelings, love and relationship.

Our followers are telling us, very plainly, that they want to learn about connection—mind melding, observing horse signals and learned empathy—more than they want to learn how to obtain a good leg position, or how to manage pastures, or fly control—indeed, any of the tools that we can learn about more mundane horse-keeping.

Right now, we would rather learn about relationship, than the tools to train our horses, or how to keep ourselves safe. This worries me, to be honest.

We’re wanting the sweet reward over the gritty substance. It has got to the point that a recent share of my pony, Bobby, learning to harrow pens was shared within a social media group that exists to find examples of cruelty to horses. Bobby was shown working willingly with his head low and his ears up… and still, this. I was guilty of asking my horse to do a job.

Many people no longer want to put in the considerable amount of time needed to learn how to ride or drive through difficult situations, let alone on challenging sorts of horses, because they have been told that if they possess the secret to understanding their horses, they will not be faced with bad moments, at all. They and their horses will have bound themselves to each other in such a way that transcends the ordinary moments that once filled a horse(wo)man’s day. They are promised that with enough love and awareness, everyone will stay safe.

I can only scratch my head at this notion and say a little prayer. I wholly agree that if we never ask, our horses will never have to say “NO!” Thing is, if you have ever been in a job, or a lifestyle, where your living is made with your horse, you know there will come a day when you, your horse and your methods will be tested with your life on the line. There will come a day.

The idea about learning to ride well was born in the military, to keep our ancestors alive in battle. This meant training war horses to understand clear aids, to ignore everything else and for us to somehow become ‘pleasant burdens’ whilst in the saddle. While modern life is far removed from this reality, I am leery of throwing out the model that created traditional horsemanship. Not just riding, either. It meant that one knew how to look after horses through feeding, care, exercise and preventing illness.

Many of these old manuals of equitation also included the method of humanely putting one’s horse down!

It meant being open to having our feelings hurt and our bodies challenged, in order to be worthy of the horse. Now, admittedly, much of the old military/traditional model of teaching was abusive to both the human and equine students. This is not what I’m suggesting we keep going, before anyone points out the error of my thinking.

I am wanting to stay alive because I have an obedient and useful horse; I want you to stay alive, too. Right now, the way horsemanship is headed, I am having my doubts about the future. We are dividing into two very separate camps: those who crave feeling and those who are somewhat proud of avoiding feeling.

It brings to mind the chasm between trained musicians and those who can play by ear. Each group makes the other somewhat uncomfortable, without an inclusive mindset.

For example, let’s take the ‘new’ information available on pain signals shown by ridden horses. We’re being somewhat misled here because this is not new! No, it has been taught by traditional teachers for decades, as a guide for schooling horses in an ethical manner. The ignoring of these signs of pain and discomfort—failing to note the posture, desperate eyes, ears, mouths, nostrils and swishing tails—particularly in the competitive realm, is perhaps what is modern? Though I suspect we’ve been ignoring horses’ needs for a very long time.

As someone who hails from a traditional dressage program, this irks me to be told to pay attention to these newly pinpointed signs of abuse. If more people trained their horses in the classical manner, they would know to avoid pushing their horses to this point, in the first place.

I will share that less and less, am I feeling comfortable illustrating my writing with photographs of myself working my own horses. Why? Because the message I relay is too often hijacked by the type of gear I use, whether I am wearing spurs or no helmet, whether my horse is wearing a shanked bit or going bitless, entirely.

Horse(wo)men, we have veered into ‘us vs them’ territory, parroting why our pet discipline doesn’t require horses to move correctly, or for us to ride with independent seats, because we have somehow risen above this need for traditional horsemanship.

Get this: I want it all!

I want relationship, though not at the expense of my workmanlike horsemanship, my being able to saddle up and go out and do a job. I want my performance but not at the expense of the connection I have built with my horses. I get very uncomfortable with the way we are being sorted off, like cattle run through a chute, into the people who achieve greater understanding at the expense of their riding, vs the people who achieve good performance at the expense of being caring, or thoughtful, people.

Do not buy into this crap.

If we are being told to ‘get after’ our horses in order to win, then we have to ask ourselves how badly our horses want to be in our chosen sport? In this case, the only ones winning are our trainers, through the cheques we are continuing to write.

Conversely, if we are being told that building friendship with our horses will excuse us from having to learn to ride correctly and teaching our horses to be obedient—aka SAFE—thousand-pound animals, then we are being sold a bill of goods. The only ones really benefitting are our gurus.

Too often, we are being told that in order to right the considerable wrongs of the past, we must absolve ourselves from wanting anything taxing from our horses. That we will exonerate ourselves by paying the living expenses of an animal that has no intention of doing anything for us, other than that of sharing space. While this works for many people, I don’t buy into the notion that traditional horsemanship is entirely wrong. Do I wish that aged events were celebrated more than futurities? You bet. Do I wish that individual disciplines wouldn’t veer from what is good for the horse, in order to be unique? God, yes.

While I have read—and cried—over ‘Black Beauty’, I have been mentored by too many thoughtful, excellent horse people, to fall for the idea that my prior horsemanship is steeped in shame. Of course, I have made mistakes, gone down wrong paths. I have tried to learn from them.

My horsemanship needs life-long tweaking, adding a shift in how I go about things, in how I strive to understand the horse. That is all. I do not want to throw the baby out with the bath water! I will need to learn what to let go and how to do it, to make room for the new… but I will not be shamed into turning my back on my prior life with horses.

This means that until someone comes up with a better method than that of putting in the effort, in real time, in how to school both a horse and rider to a high standard—without doing harm to either, mind—I will remain watchful. I will remain skeptical.

I have this feeling that my ever-practical, yet kind, grandparents would raise an eyebrow at this modern goal of always making everyone feel good, at all costs. In the long run, I’m predicting another pendulum swing from hard to soft, from resolve to feeling, to back again. We’re skidding from one ditch, to the other, rather than holding steady in the middle of the road.

Always, we do this at the expense of the horse.

Can traditional teaching can be both kinder to horses and to their people? Yes. We don’t need to continue browbeating individuals, just to get our point across. There is no benchmark of suffering that makes my learning any more valuable than yours.

Here, then, is the warning. We are in danger of replacing skills with concepts.

Replacing old standards of competence with new theories is in no way guaranteed to keep us safe. Neither we, nor our horses, will ever learn how to do an applied task, a real-life job, without actually stepping out, learning and then, doing it.

When we are riding and faced with uncontrolled pressures and ordinary risks—working cows, seeing wildlife, added speed or stress, other horses and riders, changing weather, or as many of us have done this summer with impending disaster, such as fire or rising water—we do not want to ask our horses a big question and find out they do not have our backs. l, for one, need to know that if and when we’re under extreme pressure, my horse will say yes, no matter what.

I feel as though I’m an island in thinking, let alone voicing, these thoughts.

31/12/2023

Requested Re-Share
When do I cut my losses?

I hear that question quite often. So how do you know?

**Are you fighting training issues?

Are you having trouble because your horse is not properly trained? I preach quite a bit about having one truly broke, and many times, what I find is people are struggling because they are missing a solid piece of their horses training foundation. It’s important to properly diagnose the problem and I add to that, your horses attitude. I will buy a horse any day of the week that is trying to understand what I’m showing them.

There are quite a few instances though where I see horses that will cheat, grab the bridle, drop shoulders, etc.… and it’s not always the riders fault. I ask you as a rider to challenge yourself to think outside the box, and ask, can I fix this? If not, do I have the resources around me to help me fix this? (trainers, friends, etc.) Can I send my horse off for the amount of time needed to fix this? ( A realistic time… horses are not made in 30 days) Can I fund fixing the issue? (trainers, entering, exhibitions, etc…) Do I even want to mess with it? Do I need to fix this horse to sell it? Or, is this horse even what I’m looking for as my end goal? There is always someone who will gamble to fix an issue, think they can fix it, or is looking for the exact horse you have, so be optimistic.

**Are you fighting lameness issues?

I see quite a few struggling with intermittent lameness issues. I have been very fortunate with my horses and there is rarely a problem Dr. Lee of Double X Equine can’t keep me going on. However, I do understand not everyone has access to top notch lameness vets. Often vets may not see the sheer numbers that one here in North Texas does (Sometimes 20+ performance horses a day), and it may cost more as you go on a fishing expedition to try and find the issue.

Going to a specialist DOES NOT cost more if they can find the issue the first time and you don’t have to bring them back 5 more times. So here are your questions: Can I fix this? Do I have the vets in my area capable of fixing this? Do I have the funds to fix this? Do I have an actual diagnosis? Is it worth fixing? If its fixed/healed… will this horse come back 100%? What are my odds of that? What are my odds of the horse staying sound?

**Do you not “click” with your horse?

There is ALWAYS someone who will. I see all the time people who prefer one style or the other, but many often hang on to their horses for too long, either creating bad habits for both horse and rider, or being majorly frustrated lol. I prefer a certain style as well, however I am always up for a challenge to learn how to ride a new style and improve my skills as a rider. Horses are not cookie cutter types, they will always work the best the way they are meant to work, a rider should shape to the horses talent, a horse should not be made to fit a certain style of rider.

There have been a few I simply was not going to get with, personality clash, they jarred my teeth out of my head lol, I hated how they felt, whatever the issue, they found new homes lol.

Ask yourself: Can I get with this style? Will it challenge me to become a better rider? Can I find someone to help me? (Even Olympic riders have trainers!) Do I even like this horses style? Confidence is defined as knowing the worst your horse can do, and knowing if you can handle it. So can I handle the issues at hand? Am I comfortable learning? Do I have the time to invest? Do all my other horses ride a different style? Is learning to ride this particular horse going to create bad habits for me as a rider? Does the horse have that solid foundation we talked about above?

**Is your horse not fast enough?

Ok people, here’s your reality check… sometimes…. a horse is just not going to have the gas to get the job done! And that is 100% ok! There is a need for horses of all speeds. Ask yourself: Am I making a perfect run, no mistakes, this is as good as it gets, and my horse is still too far off? What are my goals? What type of shows do I want to compete in? Could my horse be competitive in that? Be realistic. If your horse hits the 1D at a local show because no one showed up, or you’re still 8/10ths off the arena record… don’t let that “1D clock” fill you with false hope. If you’re ready to upgrade, ask yourself, can I ride a 1D horse? (A true 1D horse is defined to me as being able to clock in top 10- 15 at a big show of over 500 entered or being able to consistently place in top 10 of bigger rodeos, futurities, etc., they are usually well over $50,000+ and MANY sell over $100,000) I have people call me all the time that think they want a 1D horse, but don’t grasp what a 1D horse truly is. You can dang sure get a nice horse for $25-$30k, and you’ll always here the story of the $10,000 horse that turned into the $100,000 horse, or the killer horse that won a bunch, there are outliers, but as a general rule, a true 1D horse isn’t cheap and not everyone can ride them.

Ask yourself: am I riding to the best of my ability? Am I doing the horse justice? Can I get help? Sometimes the horse is fast enough, but the rider slows them down. Investigate both, narrow down the cause and decide how to proceed.

On a side note, I know everyone wants to do body treatments, breathing treatments, this blanket or these boots, and I’m sure that they help in their own ways, but sometimes a horse is giving all he’s got and he’s still a second off. A winner will always find a way to win, they will always show up to participate, and when the odds are against them, they power through no matter what treatment or spa day was done, you can pull them out of the pasture and they will still try to win. These are those one or two in a lifetime horses, if you find one, hang on to them or let them pay off your mortgage! LOL

**Is your horse too fast?

I see people over mounted quite often as well. It tears down the confidence of the rider and creates bad habits for a horse who’s really trying to work. Ask yourself: Can I get help? Am I willing to put in the time and dedication to improve? Do I even want to go this fast? (Seriously! Some don’t) Those are tough questions when you’re riding a nice horse, but worth asking. Reevaluate your goals and create a plan. This goes back to “Do I click with my horse.” If you’re willing to put in the work and reach out for help, by all means, get to moving! If you get 1% better every day, in 100 days you’ll be 100% better 😊

**Are you having behavioral issues?

This is a tough one because what issues are “ok” and which ones are not? There are certain issues I simply do not deal with: run off’s, bad alley issues, random bucking, rearing, ducking, aggression, etc. and plenty I will deal with, quirkiness, some types of crazy, some types of hot, some that are a little froggy when you first get on… some that aren’t great to just ride around, but run well, etc. If I am having behavior issues, I need to first rule out ALL PAIN. After that, I ask, Is the horse spoiled? Is he acting this way because he has a riders number? Is he used to getting away with it, can I fix this with some tuning?

Again, Confidence is defined as knowing the worst your horse can do, and knowing if you can handle it. So, does this issue scare you? Is it dangerous? (I don’t deal with dangerous… they can go to a new area code as well lol) Do I have access to help? Sometimes it’s as simple as having someone tune your horse a week or two. Sometimes it could require months of training. If I can’t fix the issue, what I promise you is there is someone out there who thinks they can!

**Is your horse inconsistent?

I ride a lot of inconsistent horses because I ride a lot of young horses (typically 3-6 yrs old is what I prefer) Ask yourself: Is this because my horse is green? Do I have the time needed to haul this out of them? Have I ruled out all pain issues? Am I doing the right things to build confidence in my horse? (Getting them to where they can work on their own more and depend on you as a rider less) Do I want to do this? You might laugh but youngsters and inconsistency is humbling….

Many days I am wishing I just had my fun, easy, consistent horse to ride. But in the end, my favorite part of training is seeing them come into themselves, it’s rewarding for me to see one go from nothing to winning, and then winning with someone else. I like tinkering with them too, it’s like working on a project car for me, I get a little bored when there is nothing to do. So, I often don’t keep a finished horse a long time, because they tend to not like tinkering lol. That is my own personal preference and I am realistic about that when buying or selling them.

**How do I find someone that can help me?

There are SO MANY options out there when choosing a trainer! But, you cant just think about price. Its important to find someone that has the ability to give you the most bang for you buck, so what do you search for? You see these people at all the events, but how do you choose?
First, you need to find an instructor that’s good with people, you don’t have to like them lol, but you should feel you are learning and your riding improves every time. Some trainers are amazing with horses, but not with people. Some are great with people and not with horses. The rare commodity is one that is good with both.
When you see someone that’s advertising for lessons and you see them winning or placing at the local jackpot, did they train that horse? Are they the piece that made that horse a winner? Have they won on multiple horses or trained horses that multiple riders have won on?

When someone asks me about my credentials, I am more than happy to share a dozen nice horses that are still being won and placed on today. You might see me on training horses at the jackpot doing god knows what lol, but I’ve had multiple winners with all levels of riders, and all ages, look for that in your trainer.

Looking to hit the road and start winning? Do they have other students that are winning? Are they good at getting that last few tenths of a second off a run?

If you’re looking to truly be competitive, lessons can really help you; remember to get that chip off your shoulder, EVEN OLYMIPIC LEVEL RIDERS HAVE TRAINERS. I personally have rode with MULTIPLE trainers that molded me into the horsewoman I am today. I might not agree with everyone’s methods, but even if I learned that is something I am not going to do, I still learned.
Make sure that your trainer can get a horse really broke. Soft in the face, easy to move, willing, each horse definitely has their own personality and some are more difficult than others, but remember you need someone who’s capable of dealing with YOUR horse, to help YOU succeed. I also believe a trainer should be able to ride your horse, sometimes they feel a lot different than they look.

Of course, price is a factor, but if you’re training with the $50 an hour trainer and it takes you 6 weeks to learn what you did in a couple hours with a $100 an hour trainer, are you saving money? I have clients come ALL THE TIME that feel so robbed because they’ve taken lessons for years and in one lesson with me they learned more than they did the whole time with another trainer. Please remember, that a professionally trained horse will always ride similar, there is a formal style of riding that is so important to learn. A good foundation can save you thousands!

It is also important to go with an experienced trainer because each rider has different capabilities and limits. You need a trainer that will push you, but not over do it or get you hurt. They need to be able to have foresight and keep you safe. I have some clients that are very timid and need me to be patient and slowly work through their issues. I also have clients that are extremely aggressive riders and are learning finesse. I personally coach some excellent jockeys that need help keeping horses working. I also see a lot of very popular trainers that if you asked them their credentials, wouldn’t be able to give you any other than they are great at marketing! Everyone needs something different; can your trainer help you?

Learning the foundation might not be what you want to do, you might want to just run fast around the barrels, but the fundamentals are important! I get clients regularly that have been working barrels, but have no control of their horses bodies, can’t lift shoulders, cant counter arc, can’t catch leads, aren’t sure of leg position. Their horses are over bridled because instead of their trainer taking them back to basics, teaching them to use their hands, they throw a bigger bit on. If you take the time to have a solid foundation, you and your horse will have so much more success! Sometimes slow is fast, and everyone has heard SMOOTH is fast.
Keep in mind when choosing a trainer, it’s not your job to worry about hurting someone’s feelings, if a trainer isn’t a good fit, it’s not a good fit. Move on. I’ve had kids that I just don’t mesh with and others that I’ve been able to take to the winner’s circle. We are all people, not all people get along, but as a trainer, it’s my job to act professionally and understand that you’re doing what’s best for you and your family. Business is business.

If you are paying a trainer for their time, please remember that you hired them for their ability; they are good at what they do. You did your homework and you saw that they have clients that win, horses that win, please let them do their job. If you constantly undermine your trainer and do things differently, their program won’t work for you.

Lastly, if your goal is to go to shows, rodeos, youth rodeos, etc… A coach can be a huge asset; they can stop problems before they start. They can teach you how to keep a horse tuned… which keeps them winning, or jump on your horse and handle the tuning so that you can ride them easier. They can spot lameness, even slight lameness you wouldn't normally catch, and get a handle on problems so that they don’t get worse. A winning team usually consists of a good trainer, a good shoer and a good vet.

**Last notes?
Be realistic. If you do decide to sell your horse, be realistic about a price. I’ve seen people turn down $500 off, only to keep the horse, feed and shoe him another 6 months and cost themselves double that. Sometimes you have to cut your losses and move on. If you’re frustrated, reach out for help, get multiple opinions. More than likely you’re going to like your new horse just as much, you’ll find a good fit, even if it takes a few tries. If you need a little moral support, reach out to some friends. I’ve had a few horses that anyone I threw on them could ride perfectly but wasn’t a great fit for me… new area code lol, there are too many nice ones to spend time on the wrong one! Someone will love your horse as well, will dedicate the time to fixing them, getting along with them etc... its not always a bad thing, even with some pretty rough horses. I've seen many go to the hands they needed to be in. Take your time and place a difficult horse and you'll be happy you did. This sport should be fun and we want everyone to be a good match and have a great time running!

30/12/2023

“Trussed up like a Christmas turkey---”

Look at ads. Watch at your training center. Observe the warm up area at horse shows.

If you see horses wrapped up in all sorts of rigs, this will tell you a great deal about the person who is riding the horse. The best trainers and riders can train and ride without resorting to leverage devices, long shanked or otherwise controlling bits, sharp spurs, all the apparatus designed to coerce a horse into submission.

There is a whole lot of adversarial training and riding out there, but YOU don’t have to be part of it, not unless you choose to be---.

Watch the good ones, see how softly and quietly they ride and train. It can be an eye opener to those who choose to see.

As for those who use force, there can be all sorts of reasons. Some don’t know any other ways. Some may have been taught to do things “to show the horse who’s boss.” Some are angry, domineering people. Some will grow out of this method of interacting with horses, others will never change, nor want to change.

If you feel stuck in a place where horses are treated in ways that you don’t want to watch, try to go somewhere else.

(Photo---76 year old Walt Gervais patting Timmy after a clear preliminary cross country round at Groton House)

Monday	07:00 - 19:00
Tuesday	07:00 - 19:00
Wednesday	07:00 - 19:00
Thursday	07:00 - 19:00
Friday	07:00 - 19:00
Sunday	07:00 - 19:00

J&W Performance Horses

07/04/2024

03/04/2024

18/02/2024

18/01/2024

03/01/2024

31/12/2023

30/12/2023

Address

Opening Hours

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share