Horse Of Your Dreams

Horse Of Your Dreams Home of the Ultimate Trail Horse. Our training program.produces safe, well seasoned trail mounts tha Our goal is to match the you to the horse of your dreams.
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Our Ultimate Trail Horse Training Program turns out well trained, safe trail horses. All horses must under go the thirty day evaluation before they reach the website. This enables me to make the best match for your needs. We have sold horses all around the world.

06/08/2026

Question for the trail riders. Do you ever camp overnight? If do, what do you do with your horse? Do you ever use a picket line? Interested to hear your thoughts. #

06/07/2026

Day 2 of Show Horse to Trail Horse with Spotlight

Today we took Spotlight outside to the obstacles.

For this session, I was not trying to fix everything or train him through every concern. I really just wanted to see where he was. What made him unsure? How curious was he? How quickly could he think through something new?

You can learn a lot by simply observing how a horse handles unexpected things.

Spotlight had been over obstacles as a foal, but he has not done this kind of work under saddle. So this was a good way to check under the hood and see what we were working with.

The first trouble spot we found was some standing water and mud under the grass. That brought out some big snorts and a little sidestepping. I did not make a big deal out of it. At this point, I was just gathering information, so I made a mental note that water and muddy footing will be something to work on soon.

After he was settled and focused, we went to the easy flat bridge.

I used the sending method, which is basically lunging the horse while the obstacle happens to be in the path. At first, he wanted to go around the bridge, and I let him. I was not trying to trap him or force the issue.

After a little time, I shortened the rope, kept the request clear, and let him get curious. Pretty soon, he put two feet on the bridge. That was enough for me.

He showed me he was curious. He showed me he could think. He showed me he could overcome some shyness without getting dramatic.

Next, we moved on to the trot poles, and he had no issue with those at all.

Then we tried the tilting bridge. He stepped right on, but crossed quickly because he was not quite sure about the movement. Again, that was fine. We did a few tries, let him process it, and moved on.

The banks were no problem. He went up and down without worry and actually seemed to enjoy that part.

The last obstacle we tried was the dreaded water box. Once again, I let him look at it and think for a few minutes. Then I shortened the rope and invited him to step in. He understood the request, put one foot in, backed off, and then on the next try put both front feet in.

That is where I ended the session.

Overall, Spotlight told me a lot today. He may have some concerns about new things, but he does not overreact. He is willing to try, willing to think, and willing to trust a good leader.

That gives me a very good idea of what I have to work with, and now I can start building an outline for his training goals.

Stay tuned for Day 3. We go for our first ride.

06/04/2026

Still funny. šŸ˜†

06/04/2026

What do you think? When doing Pick Me Up At The Mounting Block At Liberty, do you prefer the flashy approach at a gallop, or the calm approach at a walk? Let me know in the comments.

From Show Horse to Trail Horse: Day 1We are officially starting the first update in this new series, following the proce...
06/03/2026

From Show Horse to Trail Horse: Day 1

We are officially starting the first update in this new series, following the process of taking a show horse and helping him transition into a trail horse with Steel The Spotlight.

Day 1 for me is always more of an introduction lesson. I am really just getting to know him and letting him get to know me.

I like to start that first session on the ground. Before I ever think about riding, I want to see how he handles the simple things. How is he to halter? How does he lead? Is he respectful of my space? Is he nervous, pushy, worried, confident?

With Spotlight, the basics were very good. He was easy to halter, friendly, respectful, and very affectionate. He clearly has a lot of trust in people, which is a great place to start.

Leading him, he was very aware of his surroundings. That is completely understandable. I do not expect one to lead with no notice of his new environment.

Once we got into the indoor arena, I could feel him start to build some nervous energy. Not bad behavior, just that ā€œI am taking everything in and I am not quite sure what we are doing yetā€ kind of energy.

So I decided to start with something familiar to him, which was lunging.

He went right out on the line and immediately picked up the canter. He was feeling good, had a few bursts of high energy, and spent most of the time looking to the outside of the circle. The nice part was that he never pulled on the line and he was never disrespectful. He was just very distracted.

This is one of those places where show horse training and trail horse training can look a little different. A lot of times, lunging is used mainly as exercise. Let them move, get the fresh off, then go ride. And there is nothing wrong with letting a horse move, but for me, lunging is not just about exercise.

I want lunging to teach the same things I want under saddle. Relaxation. Focus. Body control. A horse that is mentally WITH me.

I like the horseā€™s body to be softly shaped around me, and I like the attention to come to the inside of the circle. If a horse looks to the outside while lunging, that tells me he is still focused on everything else BUT me.

And here is the thing. If I let him practice staring to the outside, building energy, and mentally leaving me on the lunge line, that can carry right over under saddle. I do not want to practice habits on the ground that I would not want when I ride.

I will post a video soon showing the ā€œbeforeā€ and then how I start helping him find more relaxed gaits and better focus on the circle.

Next, we go outside to the obstacles. Stay tuned.

Congratulations to The Shewmakerā€™s on the purchase of this amazing Old Timer Vaquero Saddle, custom made by Jake Miller....
06/02/2026

Congratulations to The Shewmakerā€™s on the purchase of this amazing Old Timer Vaquero Saddle, custom made by Jake Miller. I see many enjoyable miles ahead. Happy Trails.

A tail as old as timeā€¦ how long is too long for a trail horse?Spotlight is switching from show horse life to trail horse...
06/01/2026

A tail as old as timeā€¦ how long is too long for a trail horse?

Spotlight is switching from show horse life to trail horse life, and his big white tail is currently dragging the ground.

Itā€™s pretty, but all I can think about is mud, burrs, sticks, and every little thing on the trail trying to come home with us.

For those of you with horses that show and trail, do you keep the tail long, trim it up, or just bag it?

Free feel to share pics.

05/31/2026

Do you ever have to haul your foal? What age do you start teaching them to load?

In this video, Goldie is loading and backing of the trailer. What I love most is that she steps herself off with no pressure on the halter.

That comes from quiet repetition. A few trips on and off the trailer, then quit. Not a marathon, just enough practice for the trailer to become a normal part of life.

Watch how she looks back and checks where the step is before backing off. When you let them think and pick their speed, they stay balanced in their feet and soft in their mind.

I believe they should learn to back off from the very first session. If you have ever had a horse that would load but would not back out because he was only taught to turn around, you know exactly why. Fear of stepping off into the Grand Canyon is real! šŸ‘€šŸ˜‚

Teach it early. Your horse will thank you, and so will the next person who has to haul him.

Do you teach yours to back out, or do you let them turn around?

Congratulations to Nicki and Sadie on their Custom Jake Miller Ranch Saddle. Isnā€™t it just stunning? We fit her mare Sa...
05/30/2026

Congratulations to Nicki and Sadie on their Custom Jake Miller Ranch Saddle. Isnā€™t it just stunning?

We fit her mare Sassy to the proper tree and they designed the saddle with all the details that made it uniquely theirs. šŸ©·

Of course, we had to all ride in it, and boy it is so comfortable. šŸ’Æ

05/29/2026

Do your cats hike with you? Mine love it šŸ˜

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