With owning a trail facility, I get to see a lot of different mule and horse people throughout the year. Lots of different levels of riders, lots of different equine, and lots of different confidence levels.
One of the issues I see that has caused all sorts of issues is buddy...
Country Tough Trail Versatility (CT2V) is a nationals versatility association. Competitors have three events in trail, obstacles, and a ranch horsemanship pattern. All scores are combined for an overall versatility placing.
2020 is the third year for CT2V. In 2019, the...
Just to think that Country Tough Trail Versatility (CT2V) had 38 participants in 2018, and has 165 members in 2020 is humbling. CT2V was founded by David and Brandy Von Holten in Mora, MO. CT2V is a competition association that is a combination of obstacles without...
Bits can be tricky, and you can find yourself disqualified very quickly if you do not understand the rules about bits and training aides.
Before we talk about bits, let’s discuss training aides. Tie downs, cavessons, and running martingales are training aides. They are meant to...
As a trail riding facility owner and equine event host, I have noticed trends, highs, and lows. It appears that people want more these days when it comes to their expectations from their equine. There was a huge spike in obstacle competitions in the past, but now there is a transition...
Let me introduce you to Bill Hachmeister! Bill is a serious competitor in equine obstacle competitions, a former serious softball competitor, but he is also a beloved son, father, husband, and grandfather. Bill was selected to be on the national board for the Country Tough Trail...
In December 2013, David and Brandy Von Holten would have never guessed what Von Holten Ranch would become after they decided to purchase the family farm and transforming it into a trail riding facility.
Try to envision a farm that had not been lived on since 1979, that had been in the same family...
Most trainers will tell you that your horse can only go up, down, left, right, forward, or backwards. Horses are spunky creatures and with them being two wheel drive, I am here to tell you the new and improved ways in which your horse can react.
Yabba Dabba Doo
In the Yabba Dabba Doo, there...
First, if you are having trouble with your horse, do not be afraid to seek help from a trainer or clinician. Do not feel like a lesser rider by wearing a helmet, and ride with others until you have overcome any issues. Your safety always needs to be a priority!
In my world, I must...
As a host, you are not going to be perfect. As soon as you can come to terms with this inevitable truth, you will regain hours of sleep and find a peace of mind that is priceless. Follow me through a journey of a few of my face first fumbles I have encountered as a host.
#1 ...
Prizes for an equine competition allow you to connect with your competitors, acknowledge their accomplishments, have fun, and promote your event! Prizes can range in price, size, and usefulness. With my husband and I hosting for several different organizations at our equine facility...
Finding courage and motivation is a difficult task and gets harder and harder to find as we add candles to our birthday cake each year. I, too, find myself doubting and fearing being made fun of or just utterly failing and looking like I have never been on a horse in my life. I found...
