There are two guarantees that I give to everyone that I meet at the Arizona Cowboy College, CMT`s Cowboy U, in a “Private Lesson” or Clinics that I put on. The first one is that “I will have more fun than anyone else at whatever we are going to do today” and the second is “Horses are unpredictable.” That is it! That is all! Horses due to their “Fear Flight Response,” Size, Speed and Mannerisms make for us being in and around them flat out dangerous!
“Now that I have your attention,” the method that I teach is a simple one. “Be a witness not a victim.” The livestock and agricultural industries can be a breeding ground for accident after accident. Here at Equine Solutions safely placing people on horseback is our number one concern at any given time. You cannot expect to do away with all of the inherent risks involved in horseback riding but you can reduce your chances of being in the middle of “Wreck” by handling your horses in a certain manner. For example: “Someone, in my mind who walks next to a horse is a victim and someone who has their horse patiently walk a little behind them and to the right is a witness.” End of story……You will never change my mind on that. The person who walks next to their horse gets walked on or pulled all over and the other person who walks in the front is in control. This almost compulsive attention to what we do is necessary to reduce your chance of injury.
“SAFETY IS NOT AN ACCIDENT”……. Now will handling your horse correctly do away with any risk of injury…..absolutely not! We will never get away from the random wrecks that just come out of now where. But I guarantee you if you learn and practice the “Correct” way of working and positioning yourself with your horse you can and will cut down on your chances becoming a “Victim of a wreck” and increase your chances of becoming a “Witness to it.”
So if you are interested in tried and true methods of safely being in and around your horses. If you are interested in Riding Lessons, English or Western with a heavy emphasis on Total Horsemanship. If you have a horse that you are having behavior issues with, anything from riding, shoeing to trailering problems, starting young horses or just giving yourself the knowledge and the confidence to do it on your own. Come take part in “Building a horse you could go to war on” or “Becoming a rider who could take him there.” Get in touch with us at: