Saddles and halters, tools of the trade in a busy horse barn.
“ We do training, sales, lessons, non-pro coaching,” Randy said, and explained how he or his crew travel to about two horse shows per month with as many as 20 head of horses at a time, showing them for clients or coaching clients as they show their own horses. Some are in it to win, or for the status symbol, some to put earnings and show records on horses they want to prove for breeding, and some are just in it for the love of the game.
“ We had a lady that lived in Custer, trail rode her whole life, and decided she wanted to learn to ride a reiner at 68 years old,” Randy said, smiling.“ She took lessons for two years and decided she was ready to buy a reiner. She’ s 70, owns two reiners, and goes to every horse show with us. Last week, we were showing horses at Loveland, CO, and she walked in the doors of the complex and said,‘ It only took me 68 years to figure out what I needed to be doing, and this is it.’”
The show world has changed over the 20 years of Randy’ s career, and ranch riding has become more prominent as an achievable entry point for non-professionals interested in learning how to show and bettering their own skills, but Randy’ s focus continues to be reining horses.
“ EVEN iF YOU’ RE STARTiNG COLTS, iF YOU START WiTH A REiNiNG HORSE FOUNDATiON AND PRiNCiPLES, iT MAKES THE REST OF THEiR LiFE PRETTY EASY, BECAUSE THEY’ RE BROKE …
A rancher could get a horse from us that’ s been started, been rode, been exposed, he could go put two more years of ranch miles on it and have the best horse he every rode. We’ re just putting the foundation on it.”
“ We try to approach everything in a very horsemanship mindset. We’ re going to do the best job we can with what we have with the amount of time we are given,” Randy explained.“ I love my clientele, I love riding for my clientele, but my job is to ride the horse for what the horse is capable of. If you come to me and say,‘ My horse has to be doing this in this much time,’ great, that’ s probably not his plan,” Randy said with a chuckle.“ I think that is the hard part of the world we live in today. We live in a‘ Google world.’ Horses don’ t know what they cost. They don’ t know what the expectations are. They just know what they can give. Some of them can give a lot, some of them can’ t give much, and we all learn at a different rate. Some colts you can ride 30 to 60 days and go drag calves with them. Other colts, it blows their mind and they’ re not ready for that much pressure. You have to ride them longer to get their confidence built up to be able to go do that job efficiently. You have to figure out what the horses are good at, what they enjoy doing, and work toward doing that. No one wants to go to work and hate their job every day.”
The 90-day minimum that Randy slates for training a horse helps with that solid foundation he and his crew seek to give, but many horses require more time, some spending years with Randy as they progress through the show horse ranks.
“ One month in training is a lot like a year in school for a kid. In 90 days, you’ ll pretty much get a 3rd grader. If you completely feel safe putting your 3rd grader in the driver seat and having him drive you around, I think that’ s a great plan,” he laughed.“ If you’ re not comfortable with that, you probably need more training. If you have a horse in training for a year, they’ re pretty much a high school graduate. A high school graduate can do a lot of things. They’ re prepared for life.”
Although it is the training that pays the bills, and in spite of the elite circles many of these horses are destined for, ranching plays a crucial role in their development and training, and in solidifying that well-rounded foundation. Randy runs a small set of cows, and helps his neighbors on the Forest Service permits that surround his place on three sides.
18 Down Country Roads November / December 2025