“ We like to ranch on our show horses,” Randy said.“ That’ s part of what makes our colt training program fun: we can go ride them on Forest Service right out my back door. We can put a lot of country on the horses outside, and I think that Forest Service riding is one of the best things for them colts, going through the trees, going around the trees, going over the trees, because they have to learn how to use their feet.”
It also gives Randy and his crew extended time with a horse that might need a little extra attention or work.
“ Some horses might only need 20 minutes to an hour [ at a time ]. Some horses might need to be camped on for 6 hours. It depends on what that horse’ s mental state needs. We had a couple colts with us today when we were moving a bunch of cattle for a neighbor, because they needed to go all day, they needed that time. I was riding a 3-year-old mare – she’ s a show horse, she’ s a futurity horse, and was getting a little bit frazzled in the pen. She’ s a little bit immature to be a show horse yet, so I just ranched on her all day.”
“ What we try to do here, we want to be somewhere that people can come learn, where we can have nice horses that are successful, but we also like being a part of the community, the ranching community, the area. We try doing a 4-H clinic every year to help the youth get better. If you have a 4-H kid that wants to come and get some lessons, we don’ t charge them barely anything. I didn’ t have a lot of horse trainers around me growing up, and if they genuinely want to learn, I’ m an open book. I’ ll help them as much as I can.”
“ We love helping local people,” Randy continued.“ We love introducing people to the horse business. We want to be an asset to the community and surrounding areas …. I’ ve rode everything from your backyard bronc to high-end world class show horses, so you really can’ t bring me anything I haven’ t seen. It doesn’ t matter what you got. If you want to get better, I want to help.”
Medea, the glossy, black 3-year-old, loped once again to the far end of the arena, then turned swiftly down the middle and came to a sliding stop. More dirt showered forward.
“ The reins looked tight,” Kat Dickhoff said, watching studiously from the sidelines.“ Were you pulling on her? Was she not wanting to stop?”
Again, Randy loped the mare to the far end of the arena, this time taking her in a wide, relaxed circle, then again, before gently turning her to the straightaway down the center of the arena. Down she ran, slid to a stop, then danced away and slid again. Randy challenged her, until the skill was executed flawlessly, and the reins were slack as she stopped short. Finally, Randy nodded his approval.
“ I can work my butt off on something that doesn’ t want to get trained, and not get anywhere,” he said warmly.“ You’ ve got to have a good teammate in the horse business.”
You can find Randy on Facebook at Sliding G Performance Horses.
myblackshillscountry. com
Down Country Roads
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