05/22/2026
This right here is exactly why we maintain a small barn and tailor our program to each individual! Every horse deserves a chance at success, not flunked out if they don’t fit the right cookie cutter program🫶
I think one of the biggest problems in the performance horse industry right now is that too many horses are being fit into programs… instead of programs being fit to the horse.
And because of that, a lot of really nice c**ts fail out of programs they maybe never should’ve failed out of in the first place.
Now — are there horses that truly do not make futurity horses?
Absolutely.
Some horses mentally cannot handle that much pressure that soon. Some horses mature slower. Some horses need more confidence before more intensity. Some horses simply need more time for the pieces to come together.
But I also think there are just as many trainers who box those c**ts in because they only know how to train one way, on one timeline, inside one system. If they even have a system.
And in my opinion, that fails both the horse and the owner.
A lot of programs today are basically:
“Here is my system. Horses either fit it or they don’t.”
But horsemanship should not work that way.
Some horses are naturally gritty and fast-thinking and can fly through a program. Others are more sensitive mentally and need things presented differently. Some need slower progression in certain spots and can advance quickly in others.
That does NOT automatically mean they lack talent.
Some horses are forgiving enough to survive mediocre programs. Others require a rider and trainer capable of staying mentally ahead of them every step of the way.
I believe my job as a trainer is to get along with everything — and do the best I can by the horse in front of me.
They cannot all take the same timeline.
They do not all learn the same way. Yes, they all learn from the release, but some need more wash/rinse/repeat.
They do not all mentally handle pressure the same way.
And honestly? That’s normal.
Training for winning, imo, should never override training for safety, confidence, understanding, and longevity.
Because running a pattern is not the same thing as being truly trained.
In general, a correctly started c**t with a solid 90 rides — one that is soft, correct, round in a circle, understanding pressure, taking guidance, searching for release, and mentally handling life well — should be capable of beginning to learn a barrel pattern.
Within another 60 days, many of those horses should be capable of lightly exhibitioning with the trainer if the progression has been thoughtful and honest.
Some may progress faster. Some may need more time.
The point is thoughtful, honest progression — not forcing every horse into the same calendar, while also not leaving horses sitting in limbo indefinitely with no measurable forward progress.
That doesn’t mean the horse is finished.
It doesn’t mean the horse is futurity-ready tomorrow.
And it definitely doesn’t mean the horse should be shoved through holes mentally just to stay on someone else’s timeline.
Owners also deserve honesty.
Not every horse has incentives attached to it. And if you’re a trainer giving preference to the incentive horses, while holding the non-incentive horses hostage because there’s less money in them if they win — be honest and tell your clients you would rather ride incentive horses.
Don’t milk people along for the steady paycheck.
A horse does not have to be futurity caliber to deserve honest training and forward progress.
Not every owner wants a futurity champion.
A lot of people simply want a safe, confident, fun, reliable 3D horse they enjoy riding.
Sometimes I think — and know — those owners are getting financially and emotionally strung along because the industry has normalized endless timelines, poor communication, and systems that prioritize incentivized horses over ordinary clients.
“Slow” is not always thoughtful horsemanship.
And “fast” is not always bad horsemanship either.
Thoughtful progression matters.
To me, good training means reading the horse honestly enough to know when to push, when to wait, when to simplify something, and when to change the approach completely.
Because horses are individuals.
Not assembly lines.
