Rancho del Comienzo

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Rancho del Comienzo Practicing the art and science of horsemanship, setting a strong foundation for a variety of disciplines. Established in 2020

Horse training, c**t starting, restarts/projects, problem-solving, and coaching. "El Comienzo": the start, or the beginning. At Rancho del Comienzo, we believe in starting from the beginning. The success of every horse, regardless of discipline, starts with careful management and the establishment of a strong foundation. Taylor specializes in starting and restarting horses under saddle, as well as helping horses and their owners to find balance and communicate effectively - regardless of discipline. Her methods include elements of classic dressage, vaquero horsemanship, classic show jumping/gymnasticizing, and horse and rider biomechanics. This school of training and management allows for horses to be sure-footed, careful, and athletic to the best of their ability. They can handle varied environments and terrains while being focused and sound for work, competition, or recreation. At Rancho del Comienzo, we strive to bring out the best in every horse and horse and rider/handler pair. Horses (and humans!) learn how to learn, and how to use their bodies to the best of their abilities to succeed in any discipline of their choosing.

Some fresh starts 🐴
09/21/2026

Some fresh starts 🐴

09/18/2026

CONNECTION VERSUS PROXIMITY

Something I hear from people a lot when they are asking about their horses is "We have a good connection, he's kind of a pocket horse, he follows me everywhere, but..." and they then go on to describe a problem that usually is a result from a lack of connection.

Proximity is not connection.

Clinginess is not connection.

Try not to get connection and physical closeness confused.

Connection is rooted in attunement, which is (as Sarah Schlote of Equusoma: Horse-Human Trauma Recovery puts it) 'the sense of being seen, being heard, feeling felt and getting gotten". It's about them trusting you, trusting you have their best interest at heart, and the feeling of safety you give them when you have proven that you are as aware as the rest of their heard members.

Clinginess is a juvenile behaviour that the mother (and other herd members) allows up until the age of weaning, then they start to work on collision avoidance (a term I picked up reading the works of British ethologist Lucy Rees). Installing collision avoidance is what allows a herd of horses to move safely together at speed like a school of fish or a flock of birds. It's also part of the mental maturation process, and if that process doesn't happen horses tend to retain a that and a lot of other juvenile behaviours.

So beware of the trap of thinking that you have connection because you have constant proximity. It may just be a juvenile behaviour in disguise.

08/24/2026

“A technique can have a “Here, horse, let me help you” feel behind it. Or it can have a, “You better do this or else” feel behind it. The feel behind the technique can be the factor that decides whether the technique is effective or not.” Mark Rashid
PC Madison Yenglin

UDJC at Speak Kindly! We were so excited for another UDJC show in our area! Rylee and Clay rode beautifully in both dr...
08/24/2026

UDJC at Speak Kindly! We were so excited for another UDJC show in our area! Rylee and Clay rode beautifully in both dressage and over fences style classes, making me proud of their horsemanship throughout the weekend.

Rylee and April completed their first over fences classes together, ending on strong scores and a 2nd place ribbon in their division. 💚

Clay and May returned to the show ring after a hiatus, and earned many complimentary remarks from the judge throughout the weekend in both jumping and dressage, as well as several placings 💙

Rylee also piloted Shaq in the dressage (only his second show!), earning excellent scores in both the Abilty Test and the Benchmark Test! 💚

We love the UDJC Shows for their focus on horsemanship and logical development of horse and rider, well-managed schedules that don’t change throughout the day… and affordability! If you haven’t shown at UDJC yet… you are missing out!

And a huge thank you to Speak Kindly, Ashleen and Stephen, for hosting us. Your hard work and your hospitality, and your beautiful show environment are much appreciated!!
United Dressage & Jumping Club
Speak Kindly, LLC.

08/11/2026

A little glimpse of life here at RdC 🐴🌾
Captured beautifully by In The Moment Photography - thank you, Klaudia!
In the Moment Photography
klaudia_cyganik

A closer look at full service pasture board at RdC 👀🐴 Our horses live out in herds 24/7, but they also learn to be comfo...
07/30/2026

A closer look at full service pasture board at RdC 👀

🐴 Our horses live out in herds 24/7, but they also learn to be comfortable being separated and spending time in stalls. As we work through the horses each day, we often bring in a few at a time for efficiency - and for training. A horse may wait for a short time in the stall while his pasture-mate is being worked, learning a valuable lesson in independence and patience before even setting foot in the arena; or getting to relax and rest with food and water after his session, making the stall a pleasant place to be.

Additionally, the week of every farrier visit, we bring the horses on the week’s list into the stalls for a day or two leading up to the visit, and practice extra hoof handling for those that need it. All of them get used to the shuffling of horses, being away from their herds, and being in the barn with the same group they will be in with for their farrier appointment. All of this helps ensure that farrier visits run smoothly and with the lowest stress possible - and helps set up horses for success in the future, mimicking a show or clinic set-up.

💚 Horse owners here can always expect thoughtful, horse-centric management - the foundation of our training program. 💙

Last weekend two of our students showed at the IDCTA Show at Johnson Equestrian Center -🩵 Sarah successfully piloted her...
07/27/2026

Last weekend two of our students showed at the IDCTA Show at Johnson Equestrian Center -
🩵 Sarah successfully piloted her young horse, Sasha, in their first dressage tests together, with just a little bit of 🐬 action, and smiles all around. The beginning of a bright future together!
💚 Rylee showed Liz’s horse, Shaq, in his very first show, and had a great time, even earning a 5th place ribbon!

Mingo arrived here at the beginning of June to get started under saddle. Since then he has learned basic groundwork, to ...
07/22/2026

Mingo arrived here at the beginning of June to get started under saddle. Since then he has learned basic groundwork, to be long line/ground driven, and has been ponied all around the property. All of this set him up for success under saddle, and he had a flawless first trail ride under saddle today! His owner dreams of riding some historic Pony Express trails on him someday, and I think it’s safe to say Mingo will be up for it!

07/22/2026

"When a wild horse 'startles' at a danger, his companions do not rush up to him with soothing noises: they look to see what the matter is. A horse expects this, and directs our attention to the source of his fear. If we behave as a horse would, and swing around to look, we can show by our calm and relaxed attitude that it is not a danger at all.

Calm treatment of panics greatly increases the horse's confidence in our leadership: finding mildly alarming but not dangerous situations and handling them well is a good way of establishing trustworthiness as a leader."

~Lucy Rees- The Horses Mind-1993

or to put in another way

"The problem is not the problem, your attitude about the problem is the problem."

~Cap'n Jack Sparrow- Pirates Of The Caribbean-2003

Address

2508 N 42nd Road
Sheridan, IL

Telephone

+16308775928

Website

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