Saturday, February 13, 2010

Getting The Most Out Of Your Riding Lesson


Question: I pay $40 per hour for my riding lesson, how do I get the most bang for my buck?

Answer: Most professional trainers are providing you with the opportunity to gain valuable information. However, it is your job to listen to what they have to say and implement that knowledge on your horse. Riding and training a horse does not come with an instruction book detailing a program that will work with every horse. Be sure that when your trainer asks if you have any questions that you be honest with them. It is your hard earned money that has bought you the chance to ask a professional questions. If you don’t completely understand what is being taught, ask them to explain in greater detail. The only dumb questions are the ones that you never ask. I always encourage my clients to ask questions and to question me when they are in doubt. I would rather take the time to go slow and make sure they understand than to speed past something that I thought they understood, only to go back and keep fixing the same problem over and over. It wastes my time and their money.
Be respectful of you trainers time. Remember that this is his or her job and they may have other commitments that need to be taken care of after your lesson. When I was running a larger lesson program, I liked to have my customers at my facility early enough to have their horses tacked, warmed up, and ready to ride when the lesson began. If your lesson time is 1:00-2:00, try to be there half an hour early so that you can be ready to start at 1:00, and not 1:30. In my program you will still be finished at 2:00, no matter what time we started and still pay for the whole hour. Remember, just because you are running late, it doesn’t mean that the next lesson is.
Be sure to work on the homework that you trainer gives you so that you will be prepared for your next lesson. While at home, keep a small note pad in the barn. If you think of a question while riding on your own, you will have the pad close to write down your question, rather than trying to remember what you wanted to ask during you lesson time.
You might also be able to save some money and learn more by having a group lesson with some friends. Taking a lesson with friends will allow you to gain an extra set of eyes when you are at home training; they will have an understanding of what you are trying to accomplish. Having a friend or family member video during the lesson will provide you with ability to review what you worked on during the lesson.
Remember that it is your job to get the most out of your lesson, only you know what you don’t know.

Snow Snow Every Where

This is the road leading up to the barn.


Well I decided long ago that I needed to move to Texas to get away from the freezing cold and snow in Ohio, it's pretty tough to ride at 10 below. But, the weather this winter in Texas has broken a bunch of records. We have had the wettest winter on record as well as the most total amount of snow fall, we have had over 24 inches here at the barn. I guess the good news is that all of the moisture will cut down on the chance of another grass fire! Here are a couple of pics to show you that it really does snow in Texas.

Monday, February 8, 2010

New Reining Mini Clinics Scheduled for 2010 at KPH

Brought to you by Kutie Performance Horses. The Second Step Training Program is offering a different twist on the clinic format by offering a series of mini- clinics over the next few months designed to improve the horse and rider relationship. If you have ever wanted to know to teach your horse to spin, perform a sliding stop or change leads, this format will show you the very simple and easy step by step instruction that will allow you to perform each maneuver.

Schooling in Stephenville

Well it looks like it's time to start another work week! We survived a super long day on Saturday, hauled out to Stephenville Texas to help some of our non-pro customers and school some of the Derby horses. We left the house at 4am and pulled back into the barn at 10:30pm, needless to say we were pretty tired. I can guarantee that schooling your horses in the warm up pen at a SHOT show will get anything broke! The customers ended up finishing pretty well for the first show of the season, in not so ideal conditions. Congrats to Bobbi, Burton, Becky great job. Looks like it is going to rain all week so I guess that I will be hauling out and riding with all of my good friends that have a nice dry covered arena.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Mr Boomerjac X Docs Oak mare $30,000

Missy is by Mr Boomerjac sire of the 2006 NRHA Futurity Champion with earners of over $350,000 and out of Little Annies Oak by Doc's Oak, she is an NRHA money earner, AQHA point earner and NRBC enrolled. Missy has only been shown a couple of times easy, she is my personal horses and has been put on the back burner due to customer obligations. This video was shot a few months ago and she was pretty out of shape, due to me having knee surgery. Missy is currently back in training and ready to go show. Plus one spins, plus circles and stops, easy lead changes. Would make a super non pro horse, very quite and willing with enough talent to win on the open. Priced at $30,000.00