 Why Buy a Gaited Rocky Mountain Horse?
Its four-beat gait is natural, providing a very smooth ride. Its mind is sharp - embracing a challenge. Its disposition is gentle, capable of babysitting your grandchild. Its conformation and color is striking, turning an artist's head in appreciation. Its stamina is impressive, providing an enjoyable ride with endurance. It is known as a horse that is "born broke", making training smooth and simple.
Mountain Magic Ranch Rocky Mountain Horse Training PhilosophyOur training philosophy is natural. We attempt to make the whole experience for the horses here as natural as possible.
We start our horses between two and three years of age. They are introduced to our trainers with a natural easy bonding technique.
With over thirty years of farming, ranching and training experience and more clinic attendance than I could ever count, I have taken the best of all of my training and clinic experiences to put together what I consider the best training program available anywhere.
I have developed a program over the years to help people train their horses. This program fits in well at Mountain Magic Ranch and with our natural gaited horse philosophy. By combining my years of experience with horse training in all disciplines, the need to implement a plan that would work for everyone involved including the greatest horses in the world was set in place.
The program we have is working wonderfully well for not only the horses but also all of our trainers. They are able to learn by going through distinct and specific levels of training. Level one takes the green horse and trainer through a bonding period, then into a respect session where the horse learns that the trainer is the alpha partner in the relationship.
Through watching horses in their natural environment I have discovered that they love to follow and they love to play. Their games are always all about who is the leader. So we put the person in the leadership role and the horse becomes a very willing student. Within a few sessions the horse is ready and willing to be saddled and ridden. Without a bit to influence their gait the horses seem to find their gait naturally. The rider is more relaxed and able to enjoy the feeling of the horse’s natural abilities. It is a real joy to watch the interaction between the horses and the trainers just come alive. The trainers get very involved with the horses, the horses respond with enthusiasm and the partnership between them grows. It is very spiritual time of bonding for both the horse and trainer. This is not a one-sided training program. That is what makes it so special.
The bit is not introduced until a later training period when the horse thoroughly understands lightness and what is being asked through cues. I find at the time in the development process when the bit is introduced it enhances the horse’s natural ability to collect and develop to their full potential. Through this training program the potential is limitless!
All of our horses are taught the “one rein stop”. This is much safer than pulling back on the reins and stretching the horse's mouth, which can cause great discomfort and distress to the horse. When a horse gets afraid or distressed they then try to run faster or do some other action to get away. Being well trained in the one rein stop discourages that kind of distressed reaction.
Our horses’ gaits are developed naturally and are “gait imprinted” instead of being forced into a human interpretation of what their gait should be. They are allowed to find their gait without being forced. They are trained out on real trail rides. The horses are introduced to rough terrain (they are not just gaited up and down an alleyway with a big harsh bit in their mouth) and big rivers, not mud puddles. They learn to maneuver canyons going up and down safely and willingly and much more.
With this very different and special training program we have a finished horse checklist that is the most extensive list of abilities I have ever seen with horses in this age range. The list includes many maneuvers that that you would never think possible of a young horse. I am constantly amazed at the versatility of these very special horses.
When people purchase one of our finished horses they can be assured that all means have been used to produce a safe, gentle, talented, easy to handle horse with the very best training available today. Our staff of multi-talented trainers is also available if consultation or advice is needed. Combine all of this with the wonderful, gentle, smooth-gaited, versatile, and easy to love Rocky Mountain Horse and you have it all!
But don’t just take our word for it. Come on out and see for yourself. Oh, and bring a horse trailer - no sense in making two trips because you will want to take one home…or maybe even two or three! :>) - Darla Nassif |
