In the last nine years, my riders and I have trained 45 horses, most wild, many colts, and a few modern horses to the degree that each could be ridden in the woods by an intermediate rider. I have scoured my memory and I can only recall one broken bone that occured to a rider during a training session under my direction. That was a broken finger. That is a tribute to our dedication to safety, good safety equipment, and a sound training program.
Ten years ago an experienced horse owner told me that 'you can't let kids work with wild horses." And that comment was from a friend. Opponents of natural horsemanship, mustangs, and non-traditional training were much blunter in their attacks on our program and our horses.
Those critics all came back to the same point,-- "it cannot be done." Well, it can be done and we have done it. Most importantly, it is not brain surgery. Anyone who is willing to learn natural horsemanship, cares about horses and cares about kids can do this.
The program is not just for kids. The young lady pictured above had never ridden before coming out to our place and she is pictured with her Corolla Spanish mustang, Samson. She rode him forty six miles in one of our earliest long rides.
(Forty five horses trained is a great number. Here is another great number--30. Thirty years ago tonight my wife and I went out on our first date. Unfortunately, even after 30 years she considers me to be merely green broke.)
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