Gypsy Equine Training and Sales

06/04/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18fZhN4zh5/

05/14/2026

Did you know that mustangs are freeze branded on the left or near side of their neck and standardbreds are branded on the right or far side of their neck? I didn't until today. Thank you Facebook!

05/05/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19ufXADZcq/

04/23/2026

Damon Rogers , Cold Beer, and the masked singer

04/21/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1aK99bbecD/

04/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17gC2WQh83/

Not every act that feels kind to the person is actually kind to the horse.

Most people are not trying to cause a problem. They are trying to be fair. They are trying to be gentle. They are trying to avoid being too hard on the horse. But horses do not learn from our intentions. They learn from timing, release, repetition, and what behavior got them relief, comfort, or a break.

That is where so many people get themselves in trouble.

People often reward the wrong thing because they are looking at the situation through human emotion instead of through training. They think they are being kind when they stop asking the horse to stand still because the horse is nervous. They think they are being kind when they pet the horse while it is crowding them because it seems unsure. They think they are being kind when they let the horse drift, root, lean, or avoid because they do not want to make a big deal out of it. What they are actually doing is teaching the horse that anxiety, resistance, pushiness, or avoidance works. And that anxiety piece is important, because even when the emotion is real, a horse can still learn that acting anxious changes the pressure, changes the question, or gets relief. Once that happens, you are no longer just dealing with a feeling. You are dealing with a pattern.

The horse does not walk away from that moment thinking, my person is so compassionate. The horse walks away thinking, that worked.

And I see another version of this all the time with owners.

I often hear, my horse doesn’t like this thing. It might be a bit. It might be standing tied. It might be being washed. It might be having its feet picked up. It might be loading in a trailer. It might be being sprayed, blanketed, saddled, or handled around the ears. There are endless versions of it. Then, because the owner believes the horse “doesn’t like it,” they avoid that thing altogether or tiptoe around it every time it comes up.

That is where a small hole in training starts turning into a much bigger problem.

Most of the time, what the owner is interpreting as my horse doesn’t like it is not really about preference at all. It is a gap in training. It is a place where the horse has learned resistance, avoidance, discomfort with pressure, or simply learned that objecting changes the outcome. Then instead of addressing that hole, the owner works around it. That workaround feels kind in the moment, but it usually becomes expensive later.

If a horse “doesn’t like” standing tied, and every time it fidgets, paws, pulls, or fusses it gets untied early, the horse is learning that standing tied is optional. If a horse “doesn’t like” having its feet picked up, and every time it gets tense, jerks away, or leans on the handler the person quits, the horse is learning that resistance gets relief. If a horse “doesn’t like” the wash rack, and the owner avoids washing it unless absolutely necessary, that horse is not learning to handle pressure better. It is learning that avoidance works and that the hole in training gets to remain there.

Then later people are shocked when the problem grows.

A horse that “didn’t like” being tied becomes a horse that is dangerous to tie.
A horse that “didn’t like” its feet handled becomes hard for the farrier.
A horse that “didn’t like” the bit becomes heavy, fussy, or difficult in the bridle.
A horse that “didn’t like” to be washed becomes a horse that is hard to manage in ordinary care.

Most horse problems do not come out of nowhere. They come out of patterns. Small ones at first. The horse tries something, the person responds in a way that rewards it, and the horse files that away. Then it tries it again. Before long, what started as a little moment has become a habit. Then people say the horse suddenly developed a problem, when really the problem has been getting practiced for a long time.

I am not saying horses do not have opinions. Of course they do. I am not saying a horse cannot be worried, uncertain, sensitive, or physically uncomfortable. Those things matter, and a good trainer pays attention to them. But too often my horse doesn’t like it becomes a phrase people use to excuse a lack of training instead of recognizing a need for training.

That is a very important difference.

Because when you label every gap in training as a preference, you stop addressing it as a problem that can be improved. You start organizing your whole handling routine around the horse’s objections. Then the horse learns that it has a say in more and more basic responsibilities.

That does not make the horse bad. It makes the horse a horse.

Horses are always learning. They are learning when you mean to be training, and they are learning when you do not even realize you are training at all. Every time you release pressure, every time you quit asking, every time you change the plan because the horse objected, you are teaching something. The only question is whether you are teaching what you meant to teach.

This is why I say real kindness is not the same as emotional softness in the moment.

Real kindness is being clear enough, consistent enough, and fair enough that the horse learns how to succeed. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is not comfort the wrong behavior. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is calmly hold the line until the horse finds the right answer. Then you release. Then you reward. Then the horse gains understanding instead of gaining leverage.

That is real kindness because it brings clarity.

Confused horses are not helped by unclear people. Pushy horses are not helped by weak boundaries. Worried horses are not helped by turning every anxious moment into an escape route. In the short term that may feel softer to the human, but in the long term it makes the horse less secure, less respectful, and less dependable.

A lot of what people call kindness is really discomfort avoidance. Their own discomfort.

They do not want the horse upset.
They do not want to feel mean.
They do not want to be judged.
They do not want any tension in the moment.

So they back off, excuse it, pet it, soothe it, or quit.

And sometimes they rename the problem.

They call it personality.
They call it sensitivity.
They call it preference.
They call it he just doesn’t like that.

Maybe. But very often what they are actually describing is a place where the horse has learned that resistance works, and that people will rearrange the world around that resistance instead of training through it.

Again, this does not mean every situation should be handled with more pressure. Sometimes the answer is actually less pressure, better preparation, more understanding, better timing, or making the question smaller. But whatever approach you take, the principle stays the same: the reward must land on the behavior you want, not the behavior that pulled on your emotions.

That is where good horsemanship separates itself from feel-good horsemanship.

Feel-good horsemanship is often built around what makes the person feel like a nice human being in that exact moment. Good horsemanship is built around what actually helps the horse become better over time. Those two things are not always the same.

The horse that learns to stand quietly, respect space, accept handling, soften to pressure, and stay responsible is a horse that can live with more peace, more freedom, and more trust. That horse understands the rules. That horse is easier to handle. That horse is safer for more people. That horse has clarity.

That kind of horse is not created by rewarding every emotional display or avoiding every area of resistance because it looks kind. That kind of horse is created by fair expectations, good timing, and rewarding the right answer.

Kindness matters. I believe that. But in horse training, kindness without clarity often becomes unfairness in disguise.

Because when you reward the wrong thing because it feels kind, or avoid the thing the horse supposedly “doesn’t like,” what you usually get later is a horse that is harder to help, harder to trust, and harder to live with. Then eventually somebody has to deal with that problem, and by that point the horse has practiced it enough that it is no longer a little issue. It is now a trained behavior.

That is why I pay so much attention to what I am rewarding.

Not what I intended.
Not what I felt.
Not what sounded compassionate.
Not what the owner called it.

What did the horse just learn?

That is the question that matters.

Sometimes fixing a problem does not look soft or kind. That is because the behavior people once excused as kindness was often the very thing that allowed a hole in training to grow into a dangerous habit for both horse and owner. By the time I see it, it is no longer a small misunderstanding. It is a practiced behavior. The clarity, consistency, and accountability that should have been there in the beginning still have to happen. The only difference is that now they have to be applied to a bigger problem. So I am not always dealing with a horse that just needs kindness. I am often dealing with a horse that needs the clear direction it should have gotten from the start.

04/05/2026

Stolen from Keystone Horsemanship

What I've learned from couch jockeys and internet trainers in 2025:

1. If for any reason your horse bucks, kicks, rears, pretty much exhibits any kind of defiance during the training process. You are abusive and have clearly failed!!! No consideration is given what so ever for temperment, history, preparation, or breeding. You clearly moved to fast and haven't done enough ground work, you've done nothing but scare him and teach him bad habits and should never consider training horses again! It doesn't matter if the last 10-15 or 50 really you started didn't do any of that...you just got lucky and now your a failure! Oh ya, if they do buck you should let go of the lead and let them do whatever they want! Don't try to redirect or generate any kind of thought process!

2. You absolutely can't start a horse outside of a round pen! That is the only way, no exceptions. Starting one in hand is clearly to advanced and your just trying to show off! Oh but, saddling one the first few time in the stall is ok even though there is clearly not enough space to move if it goes bad (but then again if it goes bad it's your own fault right?) don't worry about the feeders or automatic waterers they are sacrificial and if your a good trainer they won't do anything anyway. You can also tie them up solid to saddle them the first time because that's completely safe and they won't pull back if your a good trainer!
I almost forgot: tie the stirrups down incase they do buck so the stirrups don't flop and hit them...you should make defiance as convenient and comfortable as possible, but again if they do, your a bad trainer.

3. Unless you have spent days...no weeks...no months of desensitizing to the point their mind goes completely numb and they lose all sense of self preservation before saddling the first time your a complete failure as a trainer and should probably quit. You clearly need to go watch more heartland or horse whisperer shows or something. Absolutely do not try to retain any sensetivity or provoke a horse to process thought or to think under pressure or in any way try to prepare them for an uncontrolled environment or unexpected circumstance. Take away any determination, demotivate them, and stifle any ambition. Nevermind generating and harnessing those qualities for your purposes...robots are better then partners.

4. If your using the back cinch the first time your clearly just trying to get them to buck....especially if you video it! You should leave it off and risk the saddle going over his head if he does have a come apart...but again if you're a good trainer that won't happen right? Save it for the first ride so they can really put on a good show! Or you should probably leave it off till the customer needs to use one and let them get bucked off several months in! If you do use one leave it loose enough they can get a hind foot in it.... it'll be more comfortable for them. What do you need it for anyway? Can't you just ride English?

5. If ever in doubt....do more ground work! But if you really need help you should definitely ask the ones that have started one or two their whole life....it went perfect for them so they clearly know what's best and will be happy to tell you all about it. I guess if you have to you can ask the ones with the back yard horsemanship programs that never....I mean never leave the back yard or exhibit their skills in public because that would clearly be to much for their 12 year old in a snaffle we're still doing ground work on but....we're gonna show him when he's ready someday!

6. Listen up cowboys and cowgirls! Leather halter people can probably skip this one since you already know! Under no circumstances should your horse ever hear, see, or smell a dog!!!! They should be locked up in the house! They are clearly a predator and instill fear in your already scared horse because you clearly don't know what your doing! You should never take your horse anywhere where there could be dogs present. If you go somewhere and dogs are out...especially next time you go gather cattle with your friends...you should kindly ask them to put the dogs away because they scare your horse! It is definitely not a trainers responsibility to expose horses to dogs, machinery, traffic or anything that could startle them....thats clearly just abuse!

7. If you do happen to get something right and post it online nobody will care. Your just showing off again and trying to make everyone else look bad! If it doesn't go as planned or you mess up please post that. The algorithm will send it right to the best critics likely to engage because there usually not actually doing any real training themselves so they have plenty of time to help you.

- Joshua Rushing -

03/09/2026

This was borrowed from Tim Anderson Horse Training. It seemed pretty spot on.

I get this question all the time, and it usually shows up in the exact same outfit:

“Which leg are you using right there?”

It’s asked like it’s the missing code that will unlock the whole maneuver. And I’m not saying it’s a bad question. I’m saying it’s a revealing question.

Because when you ask me “which leg,” I can usually read between the lines and tell where you are in your riding development.

Most riders move through three phases:

Mechanical → Feel & Communication → Instinctual

And that “which leg” question almost always comes from the mechanical phase.

So let me answer it the honest way first, then I’ll answer it the way that actually helps you become the kind of rider you’re trying to become.

My honest short answer

I’m using whichever leg I need to get the maneuver I’m wanting.

That’s not me being sarcastic. That’s literally the truth.

If I need the ribcage to move, I use the leg that influences the ribcage.
If I need the hip to step, I use the leg that influences the hip.
If I need the shoulder to free up, I use the leg that frees the shoulder.
If I need to straighten a drift, I use the leg that corrects the drift.
If I need to keep a lead, keep a line, keep a cadence, keep a thought… I use whatever influences that right now.

And that’s the part that irritates the mechanical mind, because the mechanical mind wants a rule. It wants a formula. It wants “inside leg at the girth, outside leg behind the girth” stamped on the forehead of every maneuver.

But riding doesn’t work like a printed instruction sheet. Riding is more like having a conversation while sitting on top of a thousand-pound animal that has opinions.

Why the “which leg” question shows your phase

In the mechanical phase, you’re trying to build a map. You’re trying to place every aid into a box:

This leg means go.

That leg means move over.

This rein means stop.

That rein means turn.

And I get it. You need structure when you’re learning. You need something repeatable. You need a starting point that doesn’t require magic powers.

But the mechanical phase has a trap built into it:

If you stay there too long, you start riding the “steps” instead of riding the horse.

You stop riding what’s happening and start riding what you memorized.

That’s when you’ll see a rider doing the “correct” aids and still not getting the correct result, and they’re confused because they did what the textbook said. Meanwhile, the horse is bracing, leaking, falling in, swapping leads, pushing through the shoulder, drifting a hip, or mentally leaving the conversation entirely.

The rider is executing a recipe. The horse is responding to pressure with a completely different set of thoughts than the rider is imagining.

That’s why I say the question is revealing. Not because it’s stupid. Because it shows the rider is still focused on the tool instead of the effect.

Mechanical riding is not wrong… it’s just not the destination

Let me be clear: the mechanical phase isn’t “bad.” It’s normal.

It’s like learning to drive a stick shift. In the beginning you’re thinking:

clutch

gear

gas

clutch

brake

stall

repeat

And if someone asked you “Which foot are you using when you shift?” you’d answer with a long explanation because you’re still conscious of each piece.

But after a while you stop thinking about your foot. You think about traffic. You think about timing. You think about space and speed and safety. Your body handles the mechanics in the background.

Riding is the same. You start mechanical. You can’t skip it. The problem is when riders get proud of being mechanical and confuse that with being skilled.

Because true skill is when your mechanics become quiet enough that you can pay attention to the horse.

The second phase: feel and communication

This is where the rider starts asking a better question.

Instead of “which leg,” they start asking:

“What did you feel that made you correct right there?”

“What was the horse about to do?”

“What were you trying to change in that moment?”

“What did you want the body to do differently?”

Now we’re talking.

Because now we’re not discussing the leg as a rule. We’re discussing the leg as a way to communicate a specific change in the horse’s body or mind.

This is where riding starts to look “smooth” from the outside, not because the rider is gentle, but because the rider is timely. The rider is making small corrections before they become big problems.

This is also where people begin to understand something that changes everything:

The horse doesn’t learn from the pressure. The horse learns from the release.

So it’s not “which leg.” It’s:

“How lightly can I ask?”

“How quickly can I release?”

“How clear can I be?”

“How consistent can I be?”

And when you get into that mindset, your riding starts turning into communication instead of a series of physical actions.

The third phase: instinctual riding

This is where people watching you think you’re doing something mysterious.

They’ll say things like:

“It looks like you’re not doing anything.”

“How do you always have your horse in the right spot?”

“How did you fix that so fast?”

And the truth is: I’m doing plenty. I’m just doing it earlier, smaller, and with less drama.

Instinctual riding is not “guessing.” It’s not “riding by vibes.” It’s not some natural talent you’re either born with or not.

Instinctual riding is pattern recognition built from time, correct repetition, and paying attention.

It’s the ability to notice the start of a problem and correct it before it becomes visible to everyone else.

It’s like a good boxer slipping a punch before it lands, or a good roper making a tiny adjustment before the loop ever leaves their hand. It looks effortless because the correction happened upstream.

So what should you ask instead of “which leg?”

If you want to grow toward instinctual riding, I want you to shift the way you think about the question.

A better question is:

“What were you trying to influence?”

Because the leg is not the point. The influence is the point.

Here’s how I break it down when I’m riding:

Am I trying to influence the ribcage?

Am I trying to influence the hip?

Am I trying to influence the shoulder?

Am I trying to influence the straightness?

Am I trying to influence the forward, the cadence, or the relaxation?

Am I trying to influence the thought (attention, confidence, willingness)?

When you ask it that way, you stop thinking “inside/outside leg” like a rule, and you start thinking like a trainer:

What is the horse doing, what do I want instead, and what aid will create that change right now?

That’s real riding.

Why “whichever leg I need” is actually a skill

People hear my answer and think I’m dodging the question.

I’m not. I’m pointing to the truth that matters.

On one horse, the right leg might mean “move your ribcage left.”
On another horse, the right leg might mean “quit bracing and soften.”
On another horse, the right leg might mean “keep stepping under and don’t dump your shoulder.”

Same leg. Different horse. Different moment. Different need.

And even on the same horse, the need changes every stride. That’s why it can’t be reduced into a simple formula without losing the reality of what’s happening.

If you want to become instinctual, you have to stop trying to memorize riding and start trying to understand response.

How I want you to practice this, starting today

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Okay, but I still need to know what to do,” good. Here’s the practical bridge from mechanical to instinctual:

1) Pick one intention per ride.
Not ten. One.
Maybe today is “control the ribcage.” Or “keep the shoulder from falling in.” Or “keep the hip straight.” Don’t try to fix everything. Pick one.

2) Ask yourself what you wanted to change before you use your leg.
Right before you apply pressure, say it in your head:
“I want the ribcage to move.”
“I want the hip to step.”
“I want the shoulder to lift.”
That one sentence forces your brain out of “do a cue” and into “create an effect.”

3) Reward the try like it matters.
Most riders keep pressing until the horse overdoes it, then they get mad they got too much.
The horse is just answering what you kept asking.
Reward the try. Release sooner. You’ll get more softness with less effort.

4) Stop labeling legs and start labeling results.
Instead of “outside leg,” think “blocking drift.”
Instead of “inside leg,” think “moving ribs.”
Instead of “both legs,” think “add energy.”
It sounds small, but it changes your whole brain.

5) Review your ride like a trainer.
After you get off, don’t just say, “That was good,” or “That was bad.”
Ask:
“What did my horse do when I applied pressure?”
“What did my horse do when I released?”
“What did I reward?”
That’s how instinct gets built. It’s not magic. It’s reflection.

Where this all leads

The goal is not to become a rider who can answer trivia questions about which leg went where.

The goal is to become a rider who can sit on a horse and quietly guide that horse’s body and mind into a better place—without needing a checklist, without needing drama, without needing to “make it happen.”

So yes, if you ask me which leg I’m using, I’ll tell you the truth:

I’m using whichever leg I need.

But what I really want you to learn is why I needed that leg in that moment—and how to start thinking that way yourself.

Because when you stop chasing the mechanics and start chasing the effect, you don’t just ride better.

You start riding like you mean it.

12/22/2025

11/19/2025

At this point we will not be allowing haul ins to our barn to protect our horses and our clients horses from the ehv-1 outbreak.

Commissioner Sid Miller and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) today issued an alert to Texas horsemen of an outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 (EHV-1) reported by Texas veterinarians after the recent World Championship Barrel Racing (WPRA) Finals in the Waco area on November 5-9. Commissi...