American Run Training Center

American Run Training Center Starting futurity horses under saddle at 2 through their futurity derby and open years. Campaigning barrel horses already on the pattern.

Helping you and your horse have a better relationship.

2026 date announcement soon!!!! Stay tuned!!
03/26/2026

2026 date announcement soon!!!! Stay tuned!!

Flirtatious bodacious! This mare is as athletic as they come. She's also the definition of a RED mare lol. Shannon Howla...
03/16/2026

Flirtatious bodacious! This mare is as athletic as they come. She's also the definition of a RED mare lol. Shannon Howland belongs to this spicy girl we affectionately call, Flirt. Some funny things about her.... she blames us for all weather changes, loves our piggy newton, is very serious and pretends to be independent but secretly likes to have some love. She prefers a stall and shavings to any outside elements. She would rather stand in her stall tilt her head and drink through the fence out of the next horse's water bucket than have to walk outside to her own water bucket.

Flirt is 5, by Cashinova Countdown. The stud was bought and raised by Karey Burton then sold in his teens i believe. I recall Karey telling me he was so malnourished when she bought him that he mouthed as a 2 yr old when he was actually 4. He didn't produce a lot of babies but the ones he did have all been phenomenal, including the incredible Gator who was trained and owned by Rachael Jensen.

She is out of the dam Js Cash or Charge who unfortunately sustained a career ending injury but has produced some amazing babies. The dam is by Fuel Charger by Oklahoma Fuel and a full sister to Katlyn Bullard stud EZ Don’t Mean Sleezy.

If any of you remember our horse Indy, she was by this stud as well. She was an incredible mare who sadly we lost to a bad colic.

We were trusted by Shannon to start Flirt under saddle. She then was brought back this past fall for riding time through the winter and a little patterning. We are so thankful to have had the chance to ride and work with this great mare.

02/18/2026

Trapper's first ex. I was blown away. This is the second time I've ever asked him to lope through the pattern. We had three back to back. By this third one he zoned in and was trying. My main wish is that he continues to enjoy this!

I did it!! I rode in the snow!! It wasn't much, it wasn't long but I got back a tad of my confidence. I rode two horses...
01/29/2026

I did it!! I rode in the snow!! It wasn't much, it wasn't long but I got back a tad of my confidence. I rode two horses through the snow. It was at a walk mainly.

I looked through old videos of pulling the kids in the sled for encouragement....

It will all come back. It's only been a year and it's okay to take your time. One step at a time....

Thank you to all those sticking right by me and giving me encouragement through it all. I'll get back to who I was. A little more cautious maybe... a little wiser I suppose... but back to running those barrels, dragging those sleds and having fun on the obstacles.

01/27/2026

It got me yesterday.... I saw it, the beast....

1 year yesterday- it's been a year since the accident, since the day our lives changed. It changed the way we live, the way I walk... it cost me part of my living, it traumatized myself, my wife and even those around me that weren't there and didn't see it happen. It could be worse though. That's what i tell myself. And it sure could be. No one died, I'm not this I'm not that, I'm able to walk, I'm able to do the things I love but, it's my trauma. It's the things I feel. It's the worst for me.

I wish the trauma would leave.... but it doesn't. Anyone who's been through something traumatic will understand. The trauma, it waits in hiding then rears its head like an ugly beast from a horror flick. It takes over and you feel so...out of control. In that moment you don't even recognize yourself. You thought it was gone... you thought you were better. Other times it's like a glitch in the system.... reminding me of the movie the matrix. See trauma never leaves. You just learn how to handle it. You start to recognize the triggers, you feel the alarms sounding in your body. You are able to stay in reality and mind talk your way through it. By this time most people don't know it's happening.... maybe your spouse or good friend can see it. They see the look that fleets across your face. They see the quick change that comes over your face. I'm my case it's most likely a quick flash of fear in my eyes, a small hesitation in the moment....but most won't even notice. You've got a handle on it. That's really what you aim for.... more glitches and less beast sightings.

Today I saw the beast. The snow..... it's beautiful. It's one of my favorite times with my horses as it means I get to pull the kids in the small sled we have around our property. I get to ride through the field like in the dreams I had as a kid growing up in Florida that never had snow. But then I saw it. The flashbacks of the fall, the possibility of it happening, the thoughts of all the consequences of another accident. My heart sank, my sigh was audible and my brain said, not today. It's only been a year Steph, it's okay, eventually it will just be a glitch in the system.

For those that are new to this page or maybe to those who didn't know, my main job is being a firefighter. Our schedule ...
01/20/2026

For those that are new to this page or maybe to those who didn't know, my main job is being a firefighter. Our schedule is 48/96 meaning we are at the station for 48 hours then off for 96 hours.
I have been at the station working the last two days. Typically, I ride horses at an arena that I drive to but we currently have a horse in training who needs to just stay at home to be worked for a while. This is mainly due to her nerves and anxiety in the trailer, but that's for another post.
Well today I go out to ride this horse only to find my cones in a strange pattern. Very well knowing it was not me, I can only assume our daughter had the fun with them. My first thought was to set them straight and back into a square or circle or any one of my normal patterns. I decided nope, let's leave them. Tonight when I see my daughter I'm going to ask her what her pattern was, then ask her to set up the cones some other way for me to ride through tomorrow. I'm excited to see what her young brain decides to do and what surprise awaits me tomorrow!

Starting off I'll share our own 5 yr old gelding, Trapper. He is by Jet Streakin and out of a mare called Louisiana spir...
01/12/2026

Starting off I'll share our own 5 yr old gelding, Trapper. He is by Jet Streakin and out of a mare called Louisiana spirit. I bought him as a yearling from Carla Bryant. He seemed a little slower to mature so I didn't put a lot of time in to him. After my injuries, here we are in our 5 yr old year way behind. He is paid up into Ruby Buckle and Breeders Challenge, FF. He's always ready to be with his humans, loves aggressive nose kisses and rubbing his face on the ribs of the trailer. The sweetest guy you'll ever meet. He's a big stocky dude that could probably be a heck of a rope horse.

Our goal is to run at the barrel bash is Shawnee at the end of July. I would also like to hit the Sunflower Futurity and possibly try for the last breeders challenge qualifier in Sept. We are just starting the pattern so we will see!

Well it's been a heck of a couple years. 2025 sure tested our strength and stamina, making me question my choice to con...
01/01/2026

Well it's been a heck of a couple years. 2025 sure tested our strength and stamina, making me question my choice to continue on this path of training horses. The physical injury was tough but nothing compared to the mental toll on me and my family.
We learned so many things through it. It was no match for the support and people we have in our corner. We found out who was there for us when all the chips had fallen, who believed in us even when we no longer believed in ourselves and whose loyalty knows no bounds.
Yes I have persevered, though it comes with trauma and a mental load that I work through on a daily basis. We will continue to ride some nice horses! We have big goals this year as we get multiple horses prepared to start their futurity career at the end of 2026. I plan to post updates here, sharing the horses we have, some may be offered for sale. All horses will be paid up in the big incentives.

Special thanks to two clients who stuck with us through the entire year, through all the injuries were willing to wait and allowing me to take my time now no matter the timeframe. Lori Bair and Julie Pamplin Castaneda you two are not just clients but the great friends we are lucky to have.

Happy new year everyone! Stephanie Swope and Lakota Swope

Hello friends, I thought I would jump on and give a little update as to how I'm doing post injury and surgery. We are a...
12/02/2025

Hello friends, I thought I would jump on and give a little update as to how I'm doing post injury and surgery.
We are a little over 10 months out from day of injury. I'm back full time at the fire department. I also passed my work performance evaluation though my foot felt it for a good 5 days or so after. The pain is from the third toe metatarsal which is turned slightly. Last dr apt, ortho did say this might be painful, but they can do surgery to shave down the bone. Don't think I'm ready for another surgery yet! Time will tell.

I've been comfortable enough in fire boots, ariat terrains, and hey dudes, all one size bigger than my normal shoe size. I was able to actually get on my expensive ass Dublin boots! I cannot get my foot into a normal cowgirl boot with my big toe having been fused.

Exercising has been modified a bit. I cannot do things that bend my big toe such as planks mountain climbers lunges or push ups, so I've modified some of them to do what I can.

I'm back to riding everyday. There is definitely some pain, mainly when getting off but I don't care enough about that to let it stop me.

This was the first time in my life I actually thought maybe I should no longer be riding. Judgements from others, thoughts of selfishness, the shame I felt from burdening others and the back to back injuries all caused multiple daily mental breakdowns. My wife's support along with an amazing therapist helped me come to terms with what had happened to me and how I could continue.

The mind is quite interesting. Things pop up, stopping me in my tracks. There are things that I simply will not do right now. There are things I sometimes cannot complete right now. There are times I can push through though to see I made it out okay. Trail rides- no. Wet pavement, grass, arenas, ect-no. Hyper awareness of ground- constant. Stopping or slowing down bc I am a bit rattled after a small stumble- sometimes.

What I have done though is walk trot lope and get another c**t started. I think that's pretty damn good. I'll take the small wins as they come. I'll keep climbing till I reach the top.. my horse journey is not over. My futurity training has just begun. I'm just getting started slower than expected but happy to have these opportunities still in front of me.

This particular clinic has been on my mind for over 2 years. Tristan and I got together in 2023 to talk about this. I c...
10/05/2025

This particular clinic has been on my mind for over 2 years. Tristan and I got together in 2023 to talk about this. I called her up to say hey, I've got this crazy idea and feel like you are the one to help me with it. Apparently the timing wasn't right, fast forward two years (and a couple injuries later) to the present time.

For the first time in my life I questioned riding horses. I questioned my passion, the very thing that I've always said was MY purpose here on this earth. Never, NEVER once in my 44 years have I wondered if I should continue the path of the equine. Amidst this questioning, I also began gaining empathy for the many women I've seen who have not been able to lope again, get back on without fear, carry nervous anxious energy in the saddle, or get past some trauma they've experienced that has caused them to fear the very thing they love so much.

This is what this clinic is all about. This is a time to heal, a time to see you are not alone, a time to find your nerves, a time to help you help yourself. We all need understanding in life. We ALL want to feel seen, feel heard.

You don't have to set foot in a saddle. You just have to come with your equine buddy and an open heart. Join us if you can. If you can't do it this time, let us know to be updated on the next one.

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Clearwater, KS
67026

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