Never ran across him before, but just watched him roping and starting 4-5 year old colts on RFD-TV that had never been handling. Anyone know anything about him?
Not a lot. From what I’ve seen of him on TV he seems like an arrogant jerk.
He started in the NH sphere along the time (maybe a little before) of Clinton Anderson, Chris Cox, so n been around for quite a while. He’s OK as far as skills; nothing exceptional. His big claim to fame is creation of the “cowboy race” and the Extreme Cowboy Race Association.
We saw him do an exhibition in East Texas around 1998-9 so he’s been around that long. The exhibition was good - not the ubiquitous colt starting but a demo with his finished Appy. We were impressed enough to sign up for a clinic at his place but my husband’s horse cut thru her coronary band about a month prior so we had to cancel the clinic. A giant pain to get the sizeable deposit refunded - almost 90 days later we ended up having to get my credit card to take the money back through the dispute process. He may have a much better admin system now but word to the wise, if you sign up, use your credit card for the deposit!
Pretty good colt starter. Not very impressed with his finishing skills. Pretty notorious for not noticing when a horse drags a lead in a change or swaps ends in a turnaround. Probably a fun guy to have a beer and tell stories with. Not the guy I’d go to for higher level horsemanship skills.
[QUOTE=BayRoan;7025370]
Pretty good colt starter. Not very impressed with his finishing skills. Pretty notorious for not noticing when a horse drags a lead in a change or swaps ends in a turnaround. Probably a fun guy to have a beer and tell stories with. Not the guy I’d go to for higher level horsemanship skills.[/QUOTE]
That.
In the introduction to his RFD-TV show, he spins a horse around in a coke bottle spin.
You think if he know what is correct, he would not have that in his showcasing logo.
Not taking away all other he may be good doing with horses, but the finer, technical parts you learn showing, that I don’t think he really knows much about, as is common with many of the NH clinicians out there.
Which is a shame, because that knowledge, that educated eye, brings your riding and your horse performance up a few notches to do things in the best way to help the horse move and gain fitness correctly and stay sound longer.
I think he may be the one that has some shows where they run thru an outside obstacle course?
That is fun for the riders and horses and helps the horse world have more participating and that is always good.
Thanks guys! I was really just curious as I’d never even heard his name.
I liked his timing with the unhandled colts (he was starting them on horseback) and his sense about what the horse was going to do, but I didn’t watch very far, as I was falling asleep. But there are very few people I’d trust a young horse with from start to finish so it’s probably ok that he isn’t much of a finisher.
Bluey, what’s a coke bottle spin?
Horses are supposed to spin over their hind ends, as here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyNpp5MVSTA
There is more to it as a reining or working cowhorse movement, but in principle that is the basic idea of a spin.
Coke bottle spins is when the horse is spinning over it’s center, front legs going one way, back legs the opposite, as a coke bottle you lay on it’s side and set to spinning.
Generally horses that do that are discombolulated and legs going every place, not with a steady, workingmanlike rythm.
Ahhhhh! I knew about reining spins but had never heard the term coke bottle, but that is very descriptive! I’m going to have to watch for that when I finish his show. I’ll admit I wasn’t paying attention to the promo or trailer.
Just a guy on a horse. Not much else there
I think he is entertaining. Plus he rides and so do all his clients. Some (most) of those nh types just seem to work the horses incessantly in the round pen.
OP, have you seen Julie Goodnight on rfd-tv? She tackles a lot of everyday problems we riders have like trailer loading, helping the rider and horse to find a balance together and even leading a horse correctly. She has a gentle, quiet way. The drawback is she pimps bits for Dale myler (sp?).
Yep, I’ve seen her, but I knew about her before 
I’m happy to see equestrians at all on TV, so long as they aren’t truly awful - I can learn a little something even if it is just by watching the horse’s reactions to the person.
