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KY Performance Horses

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Benson, NC
KY Performance Horses

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We do horse training & horseback riding lessons, specializing in barrel racing. We also host a monthly barrel show series open to all ages.

11/05/2026

Futurity season is about to kick off, and I’m holding my 3-year-old a little longer.

I’m excited to run him. I’ve put the rides in, hauled him to town, and felt enough good stuff to make me want to enter him. That’s the hard part about having a young one you really like. You get one exhibition where everything clicks and you start looking at the calendar on the way home.

But what I feel in one good exhibition and what I can count on from him week to week are two different things. Can he go into a different pen and still listen to me on the way to the first? Can I ask him for a little more speed between barrels and still have him come back to me when I sit? If he gets a little out of position, can we get back on track without me having to ride every stride for him?

That’s the part I want a little more time on. I want him to get comfortable making those decisions at the speed I’m asking for now, because when I do enter him, I want to be able to let him run. If I’m still having to babysit a spot in exhibitions, adding a timer and asking for more speed is a pretty good way to make that spot a bigger deal.

And giving him more time can be as simple as hauling him somewhere new, making one quiet pass, and putting him back on the trailer. At home, it might mean working on how he comes back to me between barrels and calling it good as soon as he gives me what I asked for. I can get a lot done in a ride without making three trips through the pattern.

I like going slow and staying correct a little longer with my young ones. If that puts his first entry closer to February than November, I’m good with it. I’ve got years I’d like to run this horse. I can give him a little more time right now.

11/04/2026

Sometimes the trainer’s job is to disappoint the owner.

To say “not yet” when there’s a show picked out. To recommend slowing down when someone is ready to enter. To explain that a horse needs more time, a different approach, or an appointment before it needs another exhibition.

Those aren’t always fun conversations, especially when someone has money invested and goals they’re excited about. I understand wanting to see progress. I want to see it, too.

But getting paid to train a horse comes with the responsibility of being honest about where that horse is. Even when the honest answer doesn’t fit the calendar.

Some horses need longer to understand their job. Some can make a nice pass but aren’t ready to handle the pressure of being entered consistently. Being physically capable of getting through a pattern doesn’t automatically mean they’re prepared for everything we’re about to ask.

And sometimes progress means recognizing a problem early enough to step back and address it.

Owners deserve a trainer who can explain those decisions, answer questions, and give them a realistic plan. Horses deserve someone willing to have that conversation on their behalf.

I’d rather explain why we waited than know I pushed one because saying yes was easier.

The goal is to build a horse you can keep enjoying long after the show you were in a hurry to enter.

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11/03/2026

Quit making the right answer a moving target.

Monday your horse is allowed to walk all over you because you’re busy talking. Tuesday you get after him for being in your space. One ride you let him leave before you’re ready, the next you’re aggravated because he won’t stand still.

Then he gets called disrespectful or inconsistent.

How consistent have you been?

Your horse doesn’t know that you’re running late, had a rough morning, or thought something was cute yesterday that’s annoying today. He’s learning from what you allow just as much as what you correct.

That doesn’t mean every mistake needs a big correction. It means you need to be clear about what you expect, recognize the effort to get it right, and stop changing the rules based on your mood.

Before you decide your horse needs more discipline, take a look at your own consistency. It’s a whole lot easier for him to find the right answer when you quit moving it.

11/02/2026

The first ride back shouldn’t be punishment for the last run.

You’ve had the whole drive home to think about that barrel. Your horse hasn’t. They don’t know you watched the video 27 times or figured out where you could’ve picked up another check.

Come home with information and a plan, but leave the frustration out of the saddle.

Figure out what actually needs attention. Was it a riding mistake? Something your horse doesn’t fully understand? Did they get tired, uncomfortable or overwhelmed? Those things don’t all need the same response, and more trips around the barrels won’t automatically fix any of them.

After a long week away, give them a chance to recover before deciding how much work they need. Then address what happened with the same patience you’d want someone to have with a horse you care about.

Being disappointed is understandable. Making your horse pay for that disappointment isn’t training.

The goal of the next ride is to help them succeed on the next run.

11/01/2026

Who are you when you’re out of contention?

When you didn’t make the short go. When you hit a barrel on a run that could’ve paid. When your friend is getting ready for the finals and you’re packing the trailer.

It’s easy to be positive when the week is going your way. It takes some maturity to be disappointed and still be good company.

You’re allowed to be upset. Take a few minutes, be frustrated, figure out what you can learn. But the people around you shouldn’t have to hide their excitement because your week didn’t go as planned.

Go cheer for your friend. Thank the people who helped you. Take care of the horse that has no idea what a qualification or a paycheck means, but gave you its effort anyway.

Everybody wants to be remembered for winning. Being someone people enjoy hauling with, competing against and having in their corner matters, too.

Some weeks you’re making the victory lap. Some weeks you’re standing at the fence cheering. Learn to appreciate both, because a long career in this sport will include plenty of each.

10/31/2026

After nine days at a show, what’s your game plan for the first day or two back home?

Mine isn’t to unload and put them right back to work. Even a horse that only made a few runs has spent over a week away from its normal routine. Stalling, hauling, interrupted rest, and everything happening around them adds up.

I want them settled back in, drinking well, eating their normal forage, and getting some comfortable movement and turnout when appropriate. A chance to relax and be a horse without another warmup or another trip to the holding pen.

I’m also paying attention while I unpack and catch up. How do their legs look? Are they moving comfortably? Eating and drinking like themselves? Sometimes you notice more once everything gets quiet, and anything concerning deserves a call to your vet.

Their next ride depends on how they come home, what they did all week, and what’s coming up next. There isn’t a prize for being the first one back on the pattern.

We put a lot of planning into getting them ready for a big show. Getting them recovered and settled afterward deserves that same effort.

10/30/2026

Same show, same barn aisle, completely different jobs today.

Some are getting ready for the redemption round, hoping to put together a run that sneaks them into finals. Others already have their spot and are giving their horses a day off before Saturday’s short go.

Both have something worth working toward, but what their horses need today might look very different.

If you’re running, give yours a fair chance. Take what you learned from the earlier rounds, make a useful adjustment if needed, and go do your job. You don’t have to squeeze a whole training program into the hours before another run.

If yours is off today, let that rest count. A clean, comfortable stall, fresh water, good forage, a quiet walk, and some time to relax can be a productive day. Don’t let watching everybody else saddle up convince you yours needs more work just because you’re itching to do something.

And keep putting effort into the little things. Late in a long week, it’s easy to get tired and let the care slide while all your attention goes toward making finals or planning that next run.

Whether you’re still trying to earn a spot or already looking toward Saturday, take care of the horse giving you that opportunity. They don’t know what’s riding on today. They’re depending on you to have them feeling their best.

10/29/2026

A PERFECT example of a wicked run 🤩 Scooby is the goat & so is Randee!!

10/29/2026

If you ask your horse to move over and then walk around them when they don’t, what did you just teach them?

Same with picking up a foot, standing for fly spray, or waiting while you open a gate. You ask, they ignore it, you get busy and carry on anyway.

Then under saddle, you’re frustrated because they don’t respond when you ask.

Horses are learning from us outside of the arena, too. If a request becomes optional whenever it’s inconvenient to follow through, that’s the lesson they’re getting.

That doesn’t mean making a fight out of every interaction. Make sure they understand what you’re asking, give them a fair chance to respond, and follow through calmly. When they get it right, release the pressure and let that be enough.

Some days the best thing you can do for your training program is take the extra thirty seconds to finish what you asked.

Those little everyday interactions add up. Make them count.

10/27/2026

If every horse you own develops the same problem, it’s time to look at the common denominator.

Different horse, same argument. Same dropped shoulder. Same anticipation. Same trouble getting through the alley.

At some point, “every horse I buy does this” needs to turn into “what am I bringing into the equation?”

That could be your timing, your hands, your balance, your preparation or what you consistently allow. It could also be something in your program that needs a closer look.

Spending more money on the next horse doesn’t fix an issue you aren’t willing to take accountability for. You can buy one with more training, more experience and a longer winning record, but you’re still bringing your habits into that partnership.

Horses come with different personalities, abilities and histories. One having an issue doesn’t mean you caused it. But when the same pattern keeps showing up across multiple horses, that deserves an honest look before another one gets labeled the problem.

And yes, that applies to trainers, too. Experience doesn’t make any of us exempt from needing another set of eyes.

Sometimes we unintentionally teach exactly what we spend the next six months trying to fix. A release at the wrong moment, a cue we don’t realize we’re giving or a boundary that changes depending on the day can add up.

The good part is that once you recognize your contribution, you have something you can work on. Ask for help, be willing to adjust and give yourself time to build better habits.

That work benefits every horse you swing a leg over. Taking accountability can be the very thing that helps you and the horse you already own move forward together.

Address

Benson, NC
27504

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 8pm
Tuesday	8am - 8pm
Wednesday	8am - 8pm
Thursday	8am - 8pm
Friday	8am - 8pm
Saturday	8am - 8pm

Telephone

+19194130878

Website

http://Www.kyperformancehorses.com/

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