Reconciliation Horsemanship

I hope this first entry gives you a bit of a feel for who I am and things I deeply consider when it comes to my horses and my horsemanship education. We never stop learning, and anyone who says otherwise? Run.

So, let’s have some fun getting to know each other!

What trainer would I trust with my horse?

                        Whatever your answer to this question, whoever you name, you are essentially saying, “what trainer would I trust my life with?” because that’s what you’re doing. When your horse is in training with someone else, you’re putting your life in that trainer’s hands, based on what your horse learns from them *and learns from YOU- this part is huge folks! * You are the biggest factor in how your horse learns and responds post-training, from the SECOND that lead rope is handed to you from the trainer. Riding (and any equine related activity) is risking your life, let’s be real, and your life is in the hands of the quality of training your horse has had, and is having. Barring freak accidents, but even then, many times freak accidents don’t have to be so freak with, “Prior and proper preparation,” as Pat Parelli puts it. No, I’m not a Parelli-ite, but I acknowledge wise sayings when I hear them. And much of his basics are helpful, but that’s another post for another day.

Here’s a list of the trainers and horsemen that currently have my attention (and why!)

• Mills Consilient Horsemanship
  • Run by Andrea Mills and located in Nebraska, this trainer is by far the most well rounded and knowledgeable I’ve come across. Her posts are insightful, thoughtful, and well said. She has a vast and expansive “toolbox” of experience which she uses to train horses under her care. She’s not a “one method only” type trainer, in fact “methods” have been thrown out of her verbiage! She takes principles from the masters of French Classical Dressage to create well balanced and prepared horses. Setting up both colts and mature horses for success in both Western and English, all while making it understandable! Having a background in classical dressage myself, this was very appealing to me. Bringing two worlds together, so to speak, and discovering they weren’t so different after all.
  • She also considers the horse’s overall body, as in, how does this maneuver affect certain muscle groups? is this horse ready and able to perform this maneuver based on his current muscular and body condition? If you’ve ever heard of biomechanics, that’s what we’re talking about here, and she includes it in the preparation of her horses.
  • Though I have not met her in person, she is responsive online. She responds thoughtfully and intentionally to posts in her horsemanship group on Facebook and dm’s. She also makes a very intentional effort to keep said group a safe space to learn, ask questions, and maintain an encouraging environment.
  • She recently opened a facility that can accommodate students to come and learn directly from her on their horses or hers, which has not been an opportunity in the past! I’m hoping to do so myself in the near future.
  • I could spend all day typing up reasons, so go read one of her posts for yourself and you’ll see what I mean!
• Warwick Schiller
  • As much as I’d love to write a big, amazing post on Mr. Schiller, I’d run out of room. His work and the horses under his care speak for themselves. In recent years he too has shifted and made changes to how he trains and handles horses. While also being very open about the changes and why. From someone who also came from a similar concept and thought background, his explanations of the shifts he has made really make sense for his fellow horsemen. The goal of his horsemanship is connection and attunement, if you know you know, and once you see it you can’t unsee it. If you’re not interested in your horsemanship journey undergoing an eye opening experience with all horses, keep scrolling.A good amount of his content can be found for free on YouTube, and for more in-depth detail he has an app with video library. He and his wife Robyn maintain 2 horsemanship groups on Facebook, to which he can be found answering questions and giving tips on posts. They strive to maintain an environment that is encouraging, accurately informed, and open to questions in every area of training. He is a trainer who I would deem as approachable and down to earth, he hasn’t forgotten he too is a human LOL.
  • While I have not directly spoken to Mr. Schiller myself, seeing him at Liberty Fest 2023 in Kentucky gave me a great visual of how he interacts with people both during his seminar and afterwards answering questions at his booth.
• Kalley Krickeberg (also seen online as “The Balanced Horse”)
  • Her business name says it all, balanced horsemanship. Just a quick scroll through her social media and you’ll see what I mean. With a passion for colt starting, and doing it well, not just turning through them like a conveyor belt, Kalley has a plethora of knowledge to offer. She is also another trainer who is not limited to a certain discipline, and takes pride as one should, in being multifaceted in the manner of riding disciplines.
  • I have not as of yet gotten to see her at a clinic in person, only videos and social media posts.
• Chris Cox
  • I didn’t use to be a fan of Mr Cox, but in recent years he has started to change how he does certain things with horses. After seeing him do a clinic at Saint Mary Of The Woods College in Indiana a few years ago, my stance on him quickly changed. I’ve since made it a point to see him up at the Midwest Equine Expo in WI and any seminar he puts on close to Kentucky. He is approachable and willingly answers questions, checking for understanding on the part of the one who asked! He doesn’t come out of Texas often folks! His vast knowledge is evident when he works with clinic horses, and you’ll be hard pressed to find any modern day clinician actually get on an attendees horse. Each horse he works with you see a visible difference in afterwards, and I don’t mean exhausted defeat. The horses are relaxed, you see de-stressing signs as they unwind working with him, and relief washes over their bodies. His ultimate concerns are for the rider’s safety, the horse’s functional future, and the fit between rider and horse. Seen fairly early on if you get the chance to watch him work. Direct and honest, he’s quick to say what most folks are thinking, but it’s always for the benefit of horse and rider, not out of callous arrogance. He’s a discerner of the horse’s state of mind, and relays that to the audience and the student. For his most current content, he has a series on RFDTV going and I believe is working on an online video library.
  • Some things to know before you go to one of his clinics:
    • He does not allow videos at his clinics, understandably. Get ready to learn, be in an open-to-change state of mind. Be willing to receive feedback and on the spot coaching
    • Listen more than you speak, and be quiet when he speaks. Ask questions.
• DM Equine
  • Okay so all the ‘famous’ horsemen in the world of horsemanship are great, but most of the time they seem untouchable right? Here is a group of local young men who have received and are receiving top notch instruction and always looking to further their own horseman education. Their talent and dedication is so evident in the caliber of horses they’re producing. You wont find a website for them or even a Facebook page, they don’t have an online presence, it’s more of an “iykyk” by word of mouth between Wooster and Fredericksburg Ohio. Simply based on word of mouth they have a WAITING LIST of clientele to get horses in their barn. They have no problem filling stalls. This barn isn’t just under one trainer, it’s a group of young men collaborating together to produce quality horses, whichever discipline the owner requests. They coach, comment on, and work together in a way that everyone succeeds. Colts are started in a way that they are balanced, solid and thinking partners for whichever area of riding the owner plans to take them, English or Western. Think about that for a moment. A colt so well started he could excel in Dressage or turn around and work cattle on a ranch out west. Too good to be true? No, in fact that’s the type of foundation every young horse needs in my opinion. Each horse will be gifted in certain areas and show propensity for one discipline or another, but if they’re so well prepared they could go any direction? You’ve done right by the horse, and these boys do.
  • I can not only personally vouch for this facility, I’m working on opportunities to further my own education under their watchful eyes. My parents have sent them every manner and temperament of horse needing to be broke under saddle from averagely handled colts to borderline feral mares and aging broodmares- all unbroke, all they knew was how to be led and loaded. Nothing more. And what was produced out of each one was any western discipline and trail ready each time. Each horse was a test to the trainer’s abilities, because a 5 year old colt starts differently than a 7 year old feral, or a 13 year old broodmare. The horses loved what they were doing, they wanted to ‘go to work’, and weren’t shut down, mind blown, or dead eyed. They truly look at each horse as an individual, not a type or stereotype. Oh, and if youre looking for a few well-bred, top notch AQHA stallions? They’ve got a few in the back 😉

The following horsemen are on my radar, but I have not yet made an effort to see them in person, I just like what I see on their Instagram and Facebook, or some of their posts have given me some insight and changes in perspective:

Lucia Clemetson Performance Horsemanship
Harmonized Horsemanship
@_TheHorseCenter (see her Instagram Page)

Hope that gives you a bit of an overview of where I’m coming from and looking for in furthering myself and my horses! Enjoy these resources!