O Bar O Horsemanship LLC

Vamanos!!!

Palomino stud c**t by Frenchmans Elvis X Rojos Irish Flower (by Rojos Irish Bay - a proven son of Paddy’s Irish Whiskey).

Gosh it’s hard to fault this c**t. My only complaint with him is that he’s not a SHE. He packs tremendous bone, straight legged, and super balanced. He just floats when he moves out. If you want a c**t that literally can go in any direction, this is the one for you! He impresses me more and more which says a lot. I’ve been high on him since he was born. His dam comes from the heart of John Hovde’s program. Elvis crossed on Rojo daughters sure have produced some top notch c**ts. I expect nothing less from this c**t. He’s just incredible.

He is eligible for the 5 State Breeders, Nexus, Homegrown Classic, Grid Iron, and Lucky 7 Bonus.

He is available.

PA French Vanilla - palomino filly
Frenchmans Elvis x Mr Bug Leader (Shawne Bug Leo x Confederate Leader daughter)

I love this filly! This cross is easily becoming one to watch as the oldest ones are starting to be rode with rave reviews. I expect nothing less with this filly.

She is eligible for 5 State Breeders, Nexus, Grid Iron, Lucky 7 Bonus, and Homegrown Classic.

She is available.

Breeding season has officially started for us! We have some openings to Frenchmans Elvis this year. One of the many things that I love about Elvis is his versatility and trainability. These c**ts want to please and can go just about any direction. They are the kind the whole family can use, from the ranch to roping to running barrels and everything in between!

His foals are eligible for the 5 States Breeders Futurity, Grid Iron, Lucky 7 Bonus, Homegrown Classic and Nexus.

I had ONE spot open up for the clinic this coming weekend, March 8-10 in Baker, MT. Cost is $350. Please let me know if you’re interested. Weather looks to be nice next weekend!

How and what you think of yourself is so important. The last several years my level of self worth has plummeted. I've started listening to one of my favorite podcasts again and the last two have had some serious truth bombs in there for me. Especially this quote. If you're on the metal toughness journey like myself, I highly recommend Jim's podcast. I already feel a shift in myself that I've held on hold for a long time. Here's a link to this particular podcast that had a total light bulb moment for me.

https://www.jimkwik.com/podcasts/what-has-your-self-doubt-already-cost-you/

PC: Diane Kay Photography

O Bar O Horsemanship LLC

One of the greatest compliments that I can receive as a clinician is to have a previous student want to return to another clinic. As I have been going through all the messages I’ve received for my next clinic, I am honored that so many that have came to my clinic before want to come back.

I am waiting to hear back from those that messaged me first on if the dates work for them. At this time only one spot is not confirmed. Let me know if you’d like to be on the waitlist.

I welcome all auditors to the clinic as well. If you plan on coming, please let me know so that I can plan ahead for meals.

I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to share my love of horsemanship. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support.

🌟🌟STAY TUNED!!! 🌟🌟
2024 Horsemanship Geared For The Barrel Racer Clinic

Date - MARCH 8 - 10
Location - Clayton Graham Arena, Baker, MT
Cost - $350

Learn to better understand and communicate with your horse while building the foundation of manueuvers that are critical to your barrel racing success!

PM me to be put on the list and you’ll have first option at a spot! Spots are filling fast. PM me if you’d like to be put on the waitlist!

Early Booking Special!

It’s that time of year when we start planning for our 2024 breeding season. With that in mind we wanted to offer a special deal to our clients!

Frenchmans Elvis’ stud fee will be $1000 until December 31, 2023. That’s $500 in savings!

Stud fee must be paid in full prior to 12/31/23. On site AI or shipped semen available.

Contact me today to get your 2024 contract!

Weekends are filling fast which leads me to ask, who would be interested in a youth clinic during the week?

Resistance in the body creates hesitation. When every fraction of a second counts, it’s important to address the horse’s body and keep it soft and supple so it can utilize every step and every stride.

“I don’t do well with clinics.” “I struggle understanding clinicians.” “I don’t want to look stupid or do bad so I just try to figure things out at home.”

I hear this ALL the time. And I can empathize because I’m a horrible student. Not in the she doesn’t try hard kind of way, but more of the “she tries hard but she just isn’t ever going to get it kind of way.” I remember being taken aside by someone else that was also being instructed in the same lesson as me, “why do you keep coming back?” I answered, “Because quitting wasn’t ever an option to me. “

I’ve been told, “I wish I was a natural like you.” Let me tell you, there is no natural talent within myself. It has taken a lot of hard work, repetition, dedication, and some people that stood behind me and didn’t give up on me.

They saw me show up even when I struggled. When it would have been easy to just give up and give in, they put their time and expertise into me. One thing that I will never forget or take for granted is all the time I spent in their arenas running barrels, roping calves, cutting, or starting c**ts; their encouragement, and their support, their generosity was valued beyond measure. How much easier would their lives have been if they would have just said, “you can’t do this.” Instead, they buckled down with me - Changing their approach, giving me time, sending me home with homework, and always answering my hundreds of questions with an encouraging word.

I think back to some of my mentors growing up and how much they gave of themselves to see me succeed. These people not only taught me how to compete and improve in my horsemanship; whether they knew it or not, they taught me how to teach as well.

When I started to teach clinics, I wanted to make sure that even those that struggle like me, leave feeling like they’ve accomplished something and that if they continue to work, they can accomplish big things.

I understand what it’s like to get beat down. I have been beat down by others but not as bad as I have beat myself down. That’s something I never want to see. I want to encourage, to inspire and motivate.

Whenever I step in the arena to help someone or to teach a clinic, I think of these people that had such an influence and hope that I can in at least some little way, give my students the same belief and encouragement that my teachers before me gave me.

Not all of us have natural talent, but one of my favorite sayings is “Hard works beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

Quitting isn’t an option.

Keep working. Keep moving. Keep believing.

Stay tuned!!! A Youth - Barrel Racing and Pole Bending fundamental clinic is in the works for June/July 2023! An official flyer will be posted as soon as dates are set.

If you listen, the horse will tell you when there is a problem.

When they stop doing a simple maneuver that was easy for them.

When they start to wring their tail.

When they are all of a sudden stepping out of a turn or hitting their front end and that is new.

When they start to hesitate at the gate.

These are all indications that something is wrong—whether it’s soreness, injury, or that we have put to much pressure on them.

They are trying to tell you—make sure you are listening.

www.betweenthereins.us



📸: Bee Silva Photography

No one can do the work for you. You have to put in the work and put in the time. This weekend at my Horsemanship Geared For The Barrel Racer clinic, I stressed the importance of horsemanship and how it relates to barrel racing. At the clinic, I do my best to fill the student's toolbox up and give them a wide variety of trouble shoot options all through what I call the Foundation of Maneuvers. It's one of my favorite parts of the clinic is watching the participants see the correlation of horsemanship to barrel racing for themselves and then "feeling" the results. At the clinic, they see how something little is actually very significant.

I enjoy it when people come back to me to get help or message me after a clinic. I'm always open to help them and love to see them continue on where we left off. However, a lot of times when they reach out, they've forgotten to go through the foundation. They're looking to treat a symptom rather than finding and utilizing the cure (horsemanship). Remember, it's the little things that lead to and create the big things. Use your toolbox!

Do the work, pay attention to the little things, always strive for more, and most of all, believe in yourself!

Looking to resurrect my blog again! What do you want me to write about first?!

Heart of a Barrel Racer

Another O Bar O Horsemanship LLC Horsemanship Geared For The Barrel Racer clinic has came to an end. What an incredible group I had this weekend. They soaked in every word and worked hard during our time together. Sunday is my favorite day of the clinics. I see how much they have learned of the Foundation and their smiles as they feel and see the changes and progress they’ve made over the weekend. It’s an incredible feeling to be able to pass even a little bit of my love and passion for horsemanship. I hope that it continues to grow in all of those that I’ve had the great pleasure of working with.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the great people I was able to ride with this weekend. Philip, for picking up the slack at home while calving no less. Carrie Jo for being my right hand man and helper at the clinics. Clayton and Mary Graham for allowing us to use their amazing facility. This isn’t possible without ALL of you!

My dear friend, Elsabe really nailed this article. Great read!

Managing Expectations - Dakota Horse Magazine Expectations — Good or bad, or do we just need to learn how to manage them?

I feel like horsemanship in the barrel racing world is interpreted as a “if my horse does this, THEN I do this.” I feel like horsemanship is more than just cause and effect. There’s a deeper meaning to it. A connection to the mind. One should be thinking “as or before my horse does this, I should do this to help provide good communication and understanding.” I always say that horsemanship can be summed up into three categories. Feel, timing, and balance with willing submission at the forefront of all you do. The mind controls the body and the feet. If we don’t understand and account for the mind (willing submission), you never have control of the body or the feet.

I searched for the definition of horsemanship today and was disappointed in the result. The result continually stated it was a skill in riding and handling a horse.

I believe that horsemanship is more an art of communication. Horsemanship is understanding and being able to communicate with the horse through body language. It’s common sense and reading a situation. It is understanding how they think and how to help them understand what you are trying to teach them. Every horse is different and their level of sensitivity changes the way we need to communicate with them.

What is your definition of horsemanship?

—Joy

www.betweenthereins.us



📸: Bee Silva Photography

Desensitizing vs Building Confidence - Dakota Horse Magazine Elsabe Hausauer

Clinic packets will be ready this afternoon! For those that are interested in attending this clinic, please send me a message or comment here. To save a spot, you MUST fill out the form and send it in with your deposit.

Stay tuned! More details to follow!

My 2022 has flown by and as things came up throughout the year I didn’t make the time to schedule clinics. I’m not making that mistake again! This year I’m going to do my best to add a YOUTH clinic to the schedule. If there’s enough interest, I will try to put together weekly workshops this summer(stay tuned).

Here’s where I need your help:

I know it is dependent on weather but when do you usually start legging your horses up in the spring or when is the earliest you’d -typically- want to or would be ready to attend a clinic?

In the mean time, please remember that I’m available for private lessons and have access to an indoor arena throughout the winter.

A Cutting Edge

As an All-Around competitor, I competed in all the events offered at the high school rodeo level with the exception of team roping. It was during this time that I found a love for Cutting. Was I a natural at it? Absolutely not. My poor mentor and coach, John Hovde, I’m sure wished that I would just give it up already. But every free weekend and each summer I’d show up at his doorstep looking for help to master the event. It took a solid three years, but all the time spent paid off when I won the Girls’ Cutting championship my Senior year. It’s a title that I hold near and dear to my heart. Not because it showed I had a future in the cutting world, but the work, the foundation, the principles I learned in the cutting pen had a direct correlation to my success in the barrel racing.

I could write a book on all that I’ve found that cross overs to the barrel pen; maybe someday I will. However, today I wanted to visit one of the hardest lessons I learned while cutting – letting the horse work first. For those unfamiliar to cutting, in a nutshell, the rider can’t use their hands to cue or steer their horse after they’ve cut a cow out of the herd. Once you drop your hand, it’s up to the horse to keep the cow from returning to the herd. To the outsiders looking in, the horse ideally looks like it’s on auto pilot. The rider does use their body and legs to aid the horse, but they are just secondary. Primarily it’s the horse’s job and more often than not, I found that I was just in the horse’s way if I took over the primary spot instead of staying in my secondary role. The horse had to want to work first. If they solely relied on you, they were late.

I find myself thinking of this in barrel racing. Sure, we can use our hands and bodies to cue the horse and are not restricted like those in the cutting. But if we have to make the first move, more often than not; we’re late. It’s so important for that horse to want to work and use their instincts from their training and foundation to make the first move and complete the job. When you’ve trained your horse in a way that they know you’re going to let them work, like in the cutting pen, the rider’s cues are just secondary; you’ll see a horse looking like it’s on auto pilot because the rider is making small moves and adjustments to compliment the horse rather than stealing the show.

I can’t count the times I’ve been told that I don’t ride aggressive because they don’t see the big and fancy moves from the rider. That’s just fine by me though, I’m just letting my horse work.