Shining Spur Stables/ Horseshoe R Arena

A little Sunday night flag practice for Lawton Rangers Rodeo! Huge thanks to her Mimi for letting her use the OG Strawberry!!!!!

Flag practice at Lawton Rangers Rodeo Arena.

It's Walters Rodeo time!!!!

Re-post from some one else!!! One thing I take very seriously as a trainer is teaching kids that horsemanship doesn’t end when you cross the timer. In fact, some of the most important lessons happen after the run.

I tell my students all the time: your horse doesn’t know you knocked a barrel over, missed your spot, or didn’t get the time you wanted. They don’t know you’re frustrated, embarrassed, or disappointed. They only know how you respond to them.

The way you treat your horse is a reflection of you as a horseman.

One of the only times I truly lose my composure as a trainer is when I see someone take their frustration out on their horse. Jerking on them, yanking them around, or punishing them because things didn’t go your way is never something I’ll condone. Corrections have a time and a place, but they should come from teaching—not anger.

What concerns me even more is that kids are watching.

Whether we realize it or not, young riders are constantly learning from the adults around them. If they see grown competitors lose their temper and take it out on their horses, they’ll think that’s how you handle disappointment. Before long, you have kids doing the same thing because that’s what was modeled for them.

That’s not the kind of horsemen we’re trying to raise.

I want my students to learn that composure is a skill. If you make a bad run, take a deep breath. Analyze what happened. Learn from it. Then go home and work on it. Your horse shouldn’t pay the price for a mistake they may not have even understood.

The best horsemen I’ve ever been around aren’t the ones who never make mistakes. They’re the ones who can keep their emotions in check, treat their horses with respect, and be the same person after a bad run as they are after a winning one.

Our horses give us everything they have. They deserve leaders who are patient, fair, and consistent. And our kids deserve role models who show them that true horsemanship isn’t measured by the buckle you win—it’s measured by how you treat your horse when nobody would blame you for being upset.

Let’s raise horsemen who are known not only for winning, but for their character, their composure, and the way they care for the animals that make this sport possible.

🤣🤦‍♀️🥶