Born in Georgia, I was raised on the family farm. Raising cattle, having horses around, and a brief venture in raising pigs, I developed a love of animals not to mention a strong work ethic. The highlight of each day was finishing chores so I could ride my horses. At nine or ten years of age I’d go through each day riding my horses, working the cattle, but had no concept of the knowledge I was gaining until years later.
By my late teens I had started several colts and was being asked to ride outside horses. Using only knowledge I had obtained on my own, I knew some of it was good, yet a lot of it was not.
I also knew if I was able to recognize this that had to be a good sign. Although aware of this fact, I was unsure of how to change the bad stuff to good. I continued with my horses through the years, trying to learn, mostly from the horses, but watching and listening to anyone I could to try to learn more.
I did learn some good stuff from lots of people; I did learn some bad stuff from lots of people. I kept telling myself there had to be a better way.
I think I first heard of “natural horsemanship” in the early to mid 1990’s. I was reading about a handful of “clinicians” traveling around teaching people about a “better way” to get their horses “respectful and responsive”. I had never heard of this before, so I set out to go watch some of these “clinicians”.
To this day, I have never looked back. After three years of riding under one of the top horsemen and clinicians in the business I knew I had found what I was looking for.
Over a ten year period I “cowboyed” in Texas, Nebraska and managed a cow calf operation in Georgia using horses in all phases of ranch work. I have been working with horses full time for nearly 15 years. After starting hundreds of colts and countless “problem horses” it still amazes me how quickly and easily the horse, regardless of breed, is able to understand what we are asking of it if it is put to the horse in a way in which the horse can understand. It is our responsibility as horsemen to know what the horse is telling us, and to always work from where the horse is. “Getting to the mind through the body”.
“That Everyone Find Satisfaction In All His Toil - This Is the Gift Of God"
Ecclesiastes 3:13
