G & K Training Centre & Tack

Home
Canada
Chatsworth, ON
G & K Training Centre & Tack

Authorized Canadian dealer for Continental Saddlery. Professional Horse Training facility that spec Invest in your horse's future and get them started right.

Quiet horse training facility which focuses on exceptional care, patience and consistency. Owned and operated by Gary Marsolais, who has over 5 decades of experience in various disciplines and has ridden for some of the best in their field. Gary is a firm believer in continuing his knowledge and designing a program for each horse based on their individual needs. All horses learn at a different pac

e and some just can't be rushed. Gary's specialty is starting young horses and preparing them for their future discipline. Many horses on gone on to have successful careers in jumping, western pleasure, reining, roping, dressage and trail horses. G & K Training Centre & Tack is the authorized Canadian dealer for Continental Saddlery. Gary has been selling Continental saddles for over 15 years and stands behind them because of quality, fit and comfort. Continental saddles are handcrafted individually in the USA made from quality products. You can design your own saddle to your specifications including colour, seat size/material, fender length, etc. Contact us to arrange a fitting at our facility.

09/05/2026

Welcome, Cannon! 🐴❤️

We have a new arrival at G & K Training Centre & Tack!

Meet Cannon, a handsome dark brown Quarter Horse who has only been with his owner for a short time—but it didn't take long for Cannon to let him know that his education was a little limited.

His owner recognized that he might be in over his head and, rather than letting the situation become frustrating for either of them, reached out to us.

That was a great decision.

Because Cannon deserves the opportunity to learn.

And right now, the first thing Cannon needs is time.

He's incredibly quiet in his stall—so quiet, in fact, that we have to double-check to make sure he's still in there! 😂

But quiet doesn't necessarily mean confident.

Cannon is hesitant.

He's hesitant when entering a new situation, and that's telling us something important.

So we're not going to rush him.

First, he gets to settle in, enjoy his food and learn the routine here.

Then we start building.

Groundwork will be our starting point, and each day we'll add a little more.

A little more experience.
A little more understanding.
A little more confidence.

Cannon has come through a dealer program and has ended up in a good home. Now it's our job to help him realize that he's safe, that he can trust the people around him and that he is capable of learning.

He needs to feel safe.
He needs to feel at home.
And he needs some education so he can feel confident in himself.

We're looking forward to watching this handsome guy find his feet and discover what he's capable of.

Welcome, Cannon. We can't wait to see your journey unfold! ❤️

A horse never lies.
Are we listening? 🐴

Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

09/04/2026

THE TRAIL RIDER’S SADDLE GUIDE – #2

“But my saddle is really comfortable.”

That's great.

But here's the question:

Is your horse comfortable too?

Riders often judge saddle fit by how the saddle feels to them. And understandably so. If the seat feels good, the position feels right and you can ride for hours without being uncomfortable, it's easy to assume the saddle must be working.

But your horse can't tell you with words.

Instead, he tells you through movement.

Maybe he feels different one direction.
Maybe he shortens his stride.
Maybe he resists being saddled.
Maybe he becomes less willing to move forward.
Maybe there are pressure areas, dry spots or soreness after a ride.

Sometimes the rider is perfectly comfortable while the horse is quietly telling you something isn't right.

That's why saddle fitting should always include the horse.

At G & K Training Centre & Tack in Chatsworth, we provide complimentary saddle fittings so you can bring your horse and get another set of experienced eyes on the entire picture.

Because a saddle isn't truly comfortable if only one of you is comfortable.

A horse never lies.
Are we listening? 🐴
Note: not our 📸

09/03/2026

🐴 Due to Popular Demand… We’re Extending It!

We’ve had such a great response to our Complimentary Saddle Fittings & Training Assessments that we’ve decided to extend them through September!

If you’ve been wondering...

Is my saddle really fitting my horse?
Why does my horse feel different?
Why is my saddle moving?
Why am I struggling with my leg position?
Why does my horse behave differently under saddle?

Or maybe you simply need another set of experienced eyes on the ground.

This is your opportunity to spend one-on-one time with Gary at our facility in Chatsworth.

Bring your horse, saddle and questions.

Ride your horse. Show us what you're experiencing. Let Gary watch, assess and help guide you toward your next steps.

This is not a group clinic.
You don't have to ride in front of a crowd.
There is no pressure.

Just you, your horse and Gary's five-plus decades of experience working with horses.

And it’s completely complimentary throughout September.

📍 G & K Training Centre & Tack
Chatsworth, Ontario
📅 Appointment only
⏰ Space is limited and booking quickly!

Don't keep wondering if you're seeing the problem correctly.

Come let us take a look.

A horse never lies.
Are we listening? 🐴

Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

09/02/2026

YAY, NELSON! 🎉🐴

Nelson arrived on August 5th, and on September 4th, this handsome teenage guy will be heading home.

He has been an absolute joy to have around, but there was one big hurdle we needed to work through:

Nelson was herd bound.

Nelson needed to see another horse.

It didn't matter if he was standing in his stall and his neighbour left the barn to go train.

He needed to see another horse.

It didn't matter if he was out training and another horse disappeared from sight.

He needed to see another horse.

Without that reassurance, his focus disappeared.

It wasn't that Nelson was afraid of the walls, the obstacles or anything around him. In fact, he had very little fear of anything.

His fear was being alone.

When he was focused on finding another horse, he wasn't really paying attention to his rider. If his rider wasn't actively steering and keeping his attention, Nelson could easily walk right into a wall or an obstacle.

So we went to work.

Day after day.

The same routine.

The same expectations.

The same consistency.

There was hollering.

There was pacing.

There was plenty of not paying attention.

But we stayed with it.

And then...

On August 30th—Day 26—something changed.

Nelson didn't care about the other horses.

He knew the routine.

He knew that if the other horses left, they would come back.

He knew that when he went out to work, he would come back.

He didn't need to constantly monitor where everyone else was.

He could focus on his job.

And suddenly, there was peace.

Think about that.

25 days of consistency.

Twenty-five days of hollering, pacing, distraction and reminding him that he was okay.

And on the 26th day, we had the breakthrough.

So, for those of you at home struggling with a herd-bound horse, here's something to think about:

It took us 26 consistent days.

Not 26 scattered rides.

Not three times a week.

26 days in a row.

The same routine.

The same expectations.

The same patience.

And 26 days to accomplish one of our goals.

And here's the really fun part...

Once we got past that hurdle, everything else started falling into place.

Because now we had his attention.

And when you have a horse's attention, you can start building.

Nelson heads home September 4th, and now the most important part begins.

His owner needs to establish a routine and keep it going.

He needs to continue learning that his buddies will still be there when they're finished—but while he's being ridden, he needs to give his owner that precious time.

Just him.

Undivided attention.

That's the goal.

Training didn't finish on Day 26.

That's where the next chapter began.

A horse never lies.
Are we listening? 🐴
Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

09/01/2026

Foxy Is Heading Home! 🐴❤️

Four months ago, Foxy arrived at our farm.

Today, you would almost never know she is the same horse.

She literally blossomed.

Her beautiful, shiny buckskin coat, her athletic build and the way she now carries herself under saddle make her a stunning horse to watch.

But the biggest change isn't just what she looks like.

It's what she's learned.

Before Foxy headed home, her owners came out to ride—and they did fantastic.

Her rider grew up with horses, but life gets busy, and it had been a while since she had last ridden.

Were we a little hesitant?

Yes.

Why?

Because putting a nervous rider on a green horse can be a recipe for disaster.

And let's be clear—even after four months of training, Foxy is still a green horse.

So what happened?

Nothing dramatic at all.

These owners raised Foxy. Her rider knew her inside and out.

She was amazed by the transformation, but she never showed any signs of fear or hesitation.

She took the reins, swung her leg over, settled into the saddle with a quiet confidence...

And simply walked off.

That was a pretty special moment.

Now the goal changes.

It's no longer about what Gary can teach Foxy here.

It's about building the connection between horse and rider and putting the miles on.

And this part is so important.

When your horse comes home from training, keep riding.

Right away.

Don't turn them out for a month because you think they need a "break."

They've been in a routine.

They're used to working.

They're used to being handled and ridden.

Keep that going.

You don't have to drill them into the ground. In fact, you shouldn't.

Ride.

Walk.

Bend.

Do some figure eights.

Work on your stops.

Get to know each other.

Build your program slowly and consistently.

The goal isn't perfection.

The goal is connection, confidence and miles.

And to Foxy's owners, we wish this duo continued success as they begin this next chapter together.

But we also reminded them of something we tell all of our clients:

We are here.

If you start having struggles, don't wait.

Don't let a small problem become a big one. Don't let frustration turn into fear.

Call us. Come back. Let's work through it.

Training doesn't end when the horse leaves our farm.

Sometimes, that's when the next part of the journey begins.

A horse never lies.
Are we listening? 🐴
Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

08/31/2026

The Saddle Room – Episode 8 - Fender Length: Why It Matters

A rider recently reached out to us because they were having trouble cueing their horse with their legs.

They didn't always feel comfortable, and at times they felt like they were leaning forward.

They wondered if Gary could simply answer the question over the phone or by text.

Our answer?

Come in and let us watch you ride.

There could be many reasons for what they were experiencing, and without actually seeing the horse, rider and saddle together, we would simply be guessing.

So, as usual, Gary had them tack up and go through their normal routine.

After watching them ride, he could immediately see what they were talking about.

They loved their saddle—and yes, it was a Continental.

But there was a problem.

The saddle wasn't positioning the rider correctly.

And this is an important part of the story:

They purchased the saddle used.

It was not ordered specifically for them.

The rider is under 5'4", and according to Continental's specifications, they should be riding in a short fender.

Instead, they were riding in a medium fender that had been shortened almost to the top hole.

At first glance, you might think, "What's the difference? There are holes, so just shorten the fender."

Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work that way.

When you shorten a fender beyond the length it was designed for, you end up with a long section of leather blocking the rider's foot in front of the stirrup. You have to push your foot past the leather and either have it rubbing your foot or wrap it up into the leather strap.

That's annoying.

But the bigger issue is what happens at the top of the fender.

The cutout that allows the fender to hang and move properly has almost disappeared.

That means the fender is no longer able to move freely the way it was designed to.

In this case, the rider's leg was essentially being held in one position.

Their ankle was lined up with their hip and shoulder—which isn't necessarily wrong—but they couldn't comfortably move their leg forward or backward when they needed to.

That was affecting their ability to cue their horse.

It was also creating pressure through the knees and ankles, which could eventually become another problem.

So we did a very simple test.

Gary took a pair of short fenders from his own saddle and swapped them onto the customer's Continental.

They rode again.

Their reaction?

"It feels like a completely different saddle."

They immediately felt more comfortable and felt they had a much better connection with their horse.

The saddle wasn't the problem.

The fender length was.

The solution was straightforward: we ordered a pair of properly sized short fenders from Continental, matched to their saddle using the serial number located under the left fender/seat jockey.

This is a perfect example of why we don't want to diagnose saddle problems from a photograph or a phone call.

Sometimes the answer isn't a different saddle.

Sometimes it's a different pad.

Sometimes it's how the saddle is cinched.

And sometimes...

It's the fenders.

When you're investing in a saddle, especially a used saddle, it's worth making sure the entire saddle is working for you—not just the seat.

Bring your horse. Bring your saddle. Let us watch.

A horse never lies.
Are we listening? 🐴

08/30/2026

The 30-Day Horse — Repetition, Consistency & Patience 🐴

We love the 30-day horse.

A 30-day program can be a fantastic way to get a horse back on track, give an owner some confidence, or simply have someone with experience put the time and miles on a horse that needs it.

Sometimes a horse just needs a tune-up.

Sometimes an owner is a nervous rider and doesn't feel comfortable being the one to get back on a horse that hasn't been ridden for a while.

But here's something important about the 30-day horse:

Thirty days is a short period of time.

When a horse comes in for 30 days, we have a goal to accomplish and a limited amount of time to work toward it.

That doesn't mean we drill the horse for hours every day.

In fact, that can actually work against us.

Instead, we build a program specifically for that horse, and that program is based on three things:

Repetition.
Consistency.
Patience.

One of the more difficult things to change in just 30 days is a horse that is herd bound.

Think about it like one of your own habits.

Maybe there's something you want to change—or something new you want to make part of your daily routine.

After a couple of days, it's still hard.

It's not your normal "go to."

After a week, you're getting better, but you still have to think about it.

Keep doing it every day for 30 days, and you may find that it's beginning to feel more natural.

Beginning to.

That word matters.

Because 30 days doesn't mean the habit is permanently changed.

The same is true for your horse.

When your horse leaves us after 30 days, we haven't magically finished the training.

We've started it.

We've given you a foundation.
We've created a better habit.
We've given you some tools to work with.
And hopefully, we've given both you and your horse more confidence.

Then your part begins.

When you take your horse home, you need to continue the work.

That means time in the saddle.

It means wet saddle pads.

It means repetition, consistency and patience.

Because it's very easy for a horse to slip back into an old habit when the new one isn't reinforced.

So, if your horse comes to us for 30 days, don't think of those 30 days as the finish line.

Think of them as a jump start.

And don't think you have to be a professional trainer to continue what we've started. You just need to be willing to put in the time and follow through.

So yes...

We love the 30-day horse.

A tune-up. A confidence builder. A fresh start. A horse that hasn't been ridden in a while.

There are plenty of good reasons for a 30-day program.

Just remember:

Your trainer can start the process.
You have to keep it going.

A horse never lies.
Are we listening? 🐴

Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

08/29/2026

THE TRAIL IS WHERE THE RIDE REALLY BEGINS. 🌲🐴

Quiet mornings.

A winding trail.

The sound of your horse underneath you.

Maybe it's a two-hour ride—or maybe you've packed lunch and you're going to be gone all day.

That's what trail riding is about.

Time with your horse. No arena. No clock. Just miles together.

And when you're spending hours in the saddle, the saddle matters.

You want to forget you're even sitting in one.

You want your horse comfortable.
You want to stay balanced.
You want to move with your horse instead of against him.
And you want to finish the ride already thinking about where you'll go next.

That's why we're proud to be the Authorized Canadian Dealer for Continental Saddlery, right here in Chatsworth, Ontario. 🇨🇦

Continental saddles are known for their comfort, versatility and quality construction—qualities that matter when your riding takes you far beyond the arena.

And finding the right saddle doesn't have to be complicated.

Bring your horse. Bring your current saddle. Come ride.

We'll look at the horse, the rider and the saddle together and help you determine what works.

You can choose from our new and used Continental saddles in stock, or...

Design your own.

Order a custom Continental saddle at no extra cost, with options selected around you, your horse and the way you ride.

And because saddle fit matters, complimentary saddle fittings are available at our facility in Chatsworth.

Your next adventure might be just one saddle away.

More miles.
More comfort.
More time with your horse.

📍 G & K Training Centre & Tack
Chatsworth, Ontario
call/text 519-374-4677
🇨🇦 Authorized Canadian Dealer for Continental Saddlery

A horse never lies.
Are we listening? 🐴

08/28/2026

THE TRAIL RIDER’S SADDLE GUIDE – #1

Why does my saddle keep moving?

You tighten the cinch. You get on. You ride.

And somewhere along the trail, you realize your saddle isn't where you started.

Maybe it creeps forward.
Maybe it shifts from side to side.
Maybe it rotates a little when you mount or turn.

So what's causing it?

Is it the saddle? The horse? The pad? The cinch? Or how the saddle is being tightened?

The answer isn't always obvious.

A saddle can be a good fit and still move if something else isn't right. And sometimes a rider is tightening the cinch enough to feel secure, but not quite enough to keep the saddle stable throughout the ride.

This is one of those problems that is much easier to understand when someone can actually watch the horse, watch the saddle and see what happens while you ride.

That's why we offer complimentary saddle fittings at our facility in Chatsworth, Ontario.

Bring your horse. Bring your saddle. Let's look at what's actually happening.

Because guessing gets expensive.

A horse never lies.
Are we listening? 🐴

08/27/2026

A Change of Scenery for Nelson, Foxy & Gideon 🌳🐴

Sometimes riding outside can be more work for a horse than we realize.

New sights.
New sounds.
New surroundings.

For some horses, that change of scenery is refreshing. For others, it can be stressful. And it really depends on the horse.

Nelson? Nothing much bothers him—except getting too far away from his buddies. 😂

Does he do anything dramatic?

Not really.

Maybe a little hollering to make sure everyone knows where he is. But when he starts getting too focused on what his friends are doing, putting him into a small circle and getting his attention back on his rider helps stop things from escalating.

It's not about fighting with him or punishing him for being worried.

It's simply about redirecting his attention and getting him focused on the job at hand.

Foxy, on the other hand, loves the great outdoors.

Leaving her friends behind doesn't seem to bother her nearly as much. She takes the change of scenery in stride and seems pretty happy to be outside.

Two horses.

Two very different reactions.

And that's exactly why training has to be about the individual horse in front of you.

Either way, getting outside was good for both of them—and a nice change of pace for Gideon too!

A horse never lies.
Are we listening? 🐴

Be patient. Be consistent. Be Gary.

Address

156689 Concession 7A
Chatsworth, ON
N0H1G0

Telephone

+15193744677

Website

http://www.gktrainingcentre.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when G & K Training Centre & Tack posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to G & K Training Centre & Tack:

Want your business to be the top-listed Pet Store/pet Service in Chatsworth?