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Clinic gets animals ready to ride
Thelma Grimes
San Pedro Valley News-Sun
Bryan Neubert, a horse expert from California, was in Benson over the weekend teaching horse owners from Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming how to get their young colts, unruly mules and older animals ready to saddle and ride.
Neubert talked to the horse owners about the importance of being patient and working with each animal's particular needs, rather than forcing it.
Joyce Hostetter said Neubert has been hosting the colt starting and horsemanship clinic in Benson for the last six years.
Neubert, who has been cowboying and riding colts for the last 20 years, makes the trip with wife, Patty, who said they travel all over doing the clinics.
"In these clinics, Bryan works with them to get a good foundation for the colts," Patty said. "By the end of the clinic, the goal is to get them saddled and hopefully to a point where they can be ridden for the first time. Bryan's way is a better way of working with horses, because he doesn't force them. This gets the horse to a point where it is willing to work with you."
Hostetter said when it comes to communicating with horses Neubert is the best.
"Every horse has the same basic behavior, but each of them has their own little things," she said. "Bryan works with each one's natural behavior and is very successful at doing it."
One of his students needing special attention on Friday was JoJo, the 13-year-old mule.
Dennis Barnhardt of Pomerene has been trying to get JoJo trained for riding and packing for the last two years. But the mule hasn't been very cooperative.
"I got her as far as I could go. I got the saddle on her, and I got up to sit on her, but she didn't have any of that and took off," Barnhardt said. "That's when I knew I needed to get some help."
JoJo was part of the morning colt starting class. Neubert told the nearly 30 people in attendance that it's not about forcing them, but teaching them to do the right thing.
Along with JoJo, he worked with a paint horse and a stallion, and after 20 minutes was making some progress with each animal. Neubert was getting the horses to follow his lead and willingly go in the direction he wanted them to go.
With the 7-year-old stallion, Neubert got the animal, which had never been saddled, to follow in the direction he wanted, to be petted and having a rope on its back, which is the first step toward saddling.
Before the stallion can be saddled, Neubert explained that they have to work out all its ticklish spots, which means it has to get used to having something on its back and around its belly.
Neubert said an important part of getting a colt ready for riding is to get it used to the idea of a saddle so the horse doesn't get spooked and hurt itself or the rider.
The paint horse had already been ridden, but was at the clinic to get used to being around other people and other horses.
Amber Young Kartchner of Benson said the horse is only used to her, so the clinic was good for her.
Jenna Otto of Colorado Springs said Neubert is great with horses, which is why she took advantage of the opportunity to travel to Benson.
While she didn't have any horses for him to train, Otto said she was there for the information, and Neubert had helped train several of her horses in the past.
The clinic was held at he River Basin Ranch and Equine Center off Airport Road in Benson.
San Pedro Valley News-Sun
Bryan Neubert, a horse expert from California, was in Benson over the weekend teaching horse owners from Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming how to get their young colts, unruly mules and older animals ready to saddle and ride.
Neubert talked to the horse owners about the importance of being patient and working with each animal's particular needs, rather than forcing it.
Joyce Hostetter said Neubert has been hosting the colt starting and horsemanship clinic in Benson for the last six years.
Neubert, who has been cowboying and riding colts for the last 20 years, makes the trip with wife, Patty, who said they travel all over doing the clinics.
"In these clinics, Bryan works with them to get a good foundation for the colts," Patty said. "By the end of the clinic, the goal is to get them saddled and hopefully to a point where they can be ridden for the first time. Bryan's way is a better way of working with horses, because he doesn't force them. This gets the horse to a point where it is willing to work with you."
Hostetter said when it comes to communicating with horses Neubert is the best.
"Every horse has the same basic behavior, but each of them has their own little things," she said. "Bryan works with each one's natural behavior and is very successful at doing it."
One of his students needing special attention on Friday was JoJo, the 13-year-old mule.
Dennis Barnhardt of Pomerene has been trying to get JoJo trained for riding and packing for the last two years. But the mule hasn't been very cooperative.
"I got her as far as I could go. I got the saddle on her, and I got up to sit on her, but she didn't have any of that and took off," Barnhardt said. "That's when I knew I needed to get some help."
JoJo was part of the morning colt starting class. Neubert told the nearly 30 people in attendance that it's not about forcing them, but teaching them to do the right thing.
Along with JoJo, he worked with a paint horse and a stallion, and after 20 minutes was making some progress with each animal. Neubert was getting the horses to follow his lead and willingly go in the direction he wanted them to go.
With the 7-year-old stallion, Neubert got the animal, which had never been saddled, to follow in the direction he wanted, to be petted and having a rope on its back, which is the first step toward saddling.
Before the stallion can be saddled, Neubert explained that they have to work out all its ticklish spots, which means it has to get used to having something on its back and around its belly.
Neubert said an important part of getting a colt ready for riding is to get it used to the idea of a saddle so the horse doesn't get spooked and hurt itself or the rider.
The paint horse had already been ridden, but was at the clinic to get used to being around other people and other horses.
Amber Young Kartchner of Benson said the horse is only used to her, so the clinic was good for her.
Jenna Otto of Colorado Springs said Neubert is great with horses, which is why she took advantage of the opportunity to travel to Benson.
While she didn't have any horses for him to train, Otto said she was there for the information, and Neubert had helped train several of her horses in the past.
The clinic was held at he River Basin Ranch and Equine Center off Airport Road in Benson.
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