11’s Ranch - reining horses

15/09/2026

🐴 "JUST ONE MORE..."

Possibly three of the most dangerous words in horse training. 😂

Horse does something really nicely.

Nice stop.

Soft turn.

Clean lead change.

And that little voice says...

"That was good... maybe just one more."

NOPE. 😂

That's when experience kicks in and says:

Leave. It. Alone.

Because horses don't know you've decided the next one is going to be the even better one.

They just know they gave you the answer.

One thing I've learnt over the years is that knowing when to quit is just as important as knowing when to keep working.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is rub them, loosen the reins and call it a day.

It doesn't have to be perfect.

It just has to be a little better understood than it was yesterday.

Besides...

There's something very satisfying about getting off while both you AND the horse still think you're clever. 😂

Tomorrow is another day.

And there'll be plenty more circles to lope then.

13/09/2026

🙏TELL YOUR TRAINER THE WHOLE STORY...

Here's something I think is worth talking about when sending a horse away for training.

Please tell your trainer the whole story.

Not just the good bits or, the bits YOU want to be good 😂

If your horse has bucked, reared, bolted, flipped over, has an issue being saddled, is funny to mount, has hurt someone before, or there's something you think I probably should know...

I definitely want to know.

And there's absolutely no judgement in that.

Horses have histories. Things happen. Some have had bad experiences, some have learnt behaviours along the way and some simply have gaps in their education.

That's part of horses.

But knowing about it allows me to approach that horse differently and give it the best chance of succeeding from day one.

There's also an important difference between a horse that needs education or retraining and a horse with an established dangerous behavioural issue.

My chosen field is education.

I put training into young horses, further educate ridden horses, retrain horses and work through plenty of normal training challenges.

But there are also trainers who specialise specifically in horses with serious behavioural problems, and sometimes that is the right professional for that horse.

That's not about whether someone is capable of sitting on one - (the velcro on my butt is getting worn with age LOL).

It's about deciding whether the risk is necessary and whether I'm actually the right person for the job.

And these days, I'm quite comfortable admitting I'm no spring chicken. 😂

I've ridden enough horses over enough years that I don't need the excitement of climbing aboard and discovering something fairly important that everybody forgot to mention.

I'd much rather know beforehand.

It keeps me safer.

It allows me to set the horse up properly.

And ultimately, it gives your horse a much better chance of having a good experience and getting the education you've sent them to me for.

Telling your trainer about an issue won't automatically make me say no.

Quite the opposite. Good information helps me make a good decision about how to approach your horse.

And if I genuinely believe your horse would be better suited to someone who specialises in a particular behavioural issue, I'll tell you that too.

Because taking every horse that comes through the gate doesn't make you a better horse trainer.

Knowing what the horse needs — and putting it in the best situation to succeed — is just good horsemanship. 🤎

10/09/2026

🐴 THE REINING HORSE TRANSLATION GUIDE

After enough years riding horses, I've realised we're not always speaking the same language...

Trainer: "Just lope a nice quiet circle."

Horse: "FAST?"

Trainer: "No. Quiet."

Horse: "Righto... fast but smaller?"

Trainer: "Let's work on this lead change."

Horse: "Excellent. I've prepared several different options.........

Trainer: "Whoa."

Horse: "I have reduced speed slightly. You're welcome."

Trainer: "Can you please just stand here for a minute?"

Horse: "Absolutely."

Moves one foot.

Then another.

Then puts head directly in your personal space.

Trainer: "I know You KNOW how to do this."

Horse: 👁️👄👁️

"Never seen it before in my life."

And then, just when you're starting to question every training decision you've ever made...

They absolutely nail it.

You sit there thinking, YES! That's it!

Horse:

"Obviously......I've known how to do it" 😂

Honestly, half of horse training is teaching them the manoeuvre...

The other half is convincing them it was their idea.

05/09/2026

04/09/2026

🐴 WHY MY TRAINING BOOK DOESN'T ALWAYS BEHAVE ITSELF...

One of the hardest questions I'm asked when booking a horse months ahead is:

"Exactly when will you have a spot?"

And the honest answer is... sometimes I really don't know. 😂

Because horses don't work to calendars.

Some horses come to me for six weeks. Some stay six months. Some come for foundation training, some need retraining, some are here to become reining horses, and others stay until we've achieved what their owner and I set out to do.

There's no magic number of weeks that makes a reining horse "finished".

One might pick up its lead changes easily but need more time developing confidence in its stops.

Another might be naturally talented but need time to become quiet and comfortable enough for its Non Pro owner to take over.

And sometimes an owner simply says, "She's going really well — let's keep going."

Which is great...

Unless you're the person I've told is next on my list. 😂

That's why when I give an estimated start date, it really is an estimate.

I could make my life much easier by saying every horse gets X number of weeks and then goes home regardless.

But that's not how I want to train horses.

I'd rather look at the horse in front of me and ask:

What does THIS horse need?

Because ultimately I'm not trying to see how many horses I can push through the program.

I'm trying to send home a horse that's had a solid education, understands its job and is as confident and comfortable in that job as I can make it.

So if you've ever been patiently waiting for me to say, "Righto, we've got a spot!" — thank you. 🤎

I know waiting isn't always convenient, and believe me, sometimes I wish horses came with a little progress bar above their heads telling me exactly when they'd be ready. 😂

Unfortunately they don't.

So the training book occasionally has a mind of its own...

But the horse will always come before the calendar at 11's Ranch.💙

01/09/2026

STALLION OWNERS...STOP MARKETING TO EVERYONE.

What if your stallion marketing was already reaching people who were actively looking for a Western performance horse to breed to?

That’s the point of StallionConnect.

Mare owners don’t come to StallionConnect looking for just any stallion.

They come looking for Western stallions.

Reining.
Reined Cow Horse.
Halter.
Cutting.
Ranch.
Barrel Racing.
Western Performance.

They’re already in the mindset of choosing a sire for their mare.

So instead of trying to find those mare owners while they scroll through Facebook…put your stallion where they are already looking.

Your own social media reaches your followers.

StallionConnect reaches mare owners who are actively searching for Western stallions.

That means your stallion isn’t just getting more exposure. He’s getting relevant exposure.
And that’s the difference.

If you’re serious about your stallion being considered this breeding season, get him in front of the people who are actually looking.

👉 Message StallionConnect today to take the guess work out of marketing your asset.

Don’t market to everyone.
Market to the right people.

30/08/2026

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ HORSE REVIEW – 11's Ranch

"Overall, a fairly pleasant establishment.

Meals are punctual, accommodation is comfortable and staff seem reasonably well trained.

I do, however, have a few concerns.

Apparently arriving here with one good lead change does NOT mean I get to choose which direction it's in.

I've also been informed that 'nearly stopping' and actually stopping are two completely different things.

Seems unnecessarily picky, but anyway...

Management keeps insisting that I know the answer and should stop pretending I don't.

Bit rude when you think about it.

On the positive side, cuddles are plentiful, work hours are reasonable and I've discovered that when I get something right, everyone seems ridiculously pleased with me.

I'm starting to suspect they may actually know what they're doing.

Would give five stars, but I'm holding the last one hostage until treat negotiations improve."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

— Current resident, name withheld on legal advice. 😂

29/08/2026

Such a privilege to have been a part of Bec and Lacey’s journey! 💓💓 well done Bec - we are so proud of you! 💪🏻🤩

🎙️🐴 BARN YARN – MEET BEC HOLT 🐴🎙️

Time for another Barn Yarn! Meet the lovely Bec Holt. ❤️

Fairly new to reining but no stranger to western disciplines, Bec has wanted to give reining a crack for years. You've probably also spotted her smiling face helping out on the gate at RQ shows!

🐴 Tell us about yourself.

I'm Bec, 54, a proud mum to three adult children, one in heaven, and GiGi to Vinnie and Violet. I'm originally from the Hawkesbury but now live in Toowoomba, where I run my business, Business Sitters.

How did you find reining?

I attended clinics with Chris Gould around 2018 after competing in Western Pleasure and Western Dressage. I love that reining is fast and exciting but also so technical and precise. There's always something to improve.

Tell us about Lacey.

Lacey (Me Lil Dreamer) is five and by Wimpys Starlight. I found her on Facebook and messaged Nat Kritikou. She wasn't mouthed or fully broken in, but Nat rode her in a halter — and that sold me! 😂

She's the sweetest mare, although every day when I put her back boots on she walks like she's never worn them before!

Proudest moment?

Our first show at Dalby. Lacey had only been at 11's Ranch Reining Horses for 5 months, so completing that first show together was pretty special.

She's taught me patience. Progress takes time, but if you keep working, eventually you see the results.

⚡ QUICK FIRE

Spins or stops? Stops!
Early bird or night owl? Depends what bad influences are around! 😂
Lacey in one word? The Best! (Technically two!)
RQ in one word? Inclusive ❤️

Advice for someone wanting to try reining?

"Absolutely give it a go. You don't need the perfect horse or to know everything before you start. Be prepared to learn, have patience and enjoy the small improvements."

Thanks for being part of Barn Yarn, Bec! ❤️🐴

28/08/2026

👀 COMING TO THE MARKET...

For those quietly keeping an eye out for a seriously nice mare... you might want to watch this space.

Exceptionally well-bred reining mare — CHECK ✅

Colour — CHECK ✅

Good bone and not small — CHECK ✅

Quiet and good minded — CHECK ✅

Easy lead changer — CHECK ✅

Turns — CHECK ✅

Stops — CHECK ✅

Rein AND Ranch — CHECK ✅

Can go out and bring home the ribbons — CHECK ✅

Not over-shown — CHECK ✅

Sound — CHECK ✅

The sort that doesn't come onto the market very often — BIG CHECK ✅

She's currently being brought into work here with us at 11's Ranch, and once she's ready she'll officially be looking for her next person.

This isn't one we're in a hurry to throw on the market. We'll get her legged up, get to know her well and make sure she's ready to show people exactly what she is.

She'll be around the 🥕40 mark, so she's not being marketed as a cheap horse — but genuinely good, well-bred, versatile mares with plenty of size, a good mind and all the buttons aren't exactly growing on trees either.

I have a feeling someone is going to be very lucky to own this one.

Serious enquiries are welcome now if you'd like to get on the radar before she officially hits the market. 👀🐴

28/08/2026

It's funny the things you get to know when you spend every day with horses.

You know the one who'll be standing at the gate, keen to get things started.

The one who needs a cuddle before we can possibly discuss doing any actual work.

The one who has to inspect absolutely everything you're carrying.

The one who acts like breakfast is approximately three hours late... despite it being delivered at exactly the same time every day. 😂

And then there are the quieter things...

You notice when they're feeling particularly good even happy.

When they're a little tired or not just feelin it.

When something they've been learning is finally starting to feel easy. Light bulb flicked on.

When the horse that used to be a little reserved starts looking for you when you walk past.

They're all so different.

Different personalities. Different strengths. Different quirks.

And I think that's one of the things I enjoy most about training horses.

You don't just get to know how they ride.

You get to know them.

And somewhere along the way, without even realising it, they usually manage to find their own little place in your heart. 🤎

Even the one who's still convinced breakfast is late.