What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 4pm Tuesday 9am - 4pm Wednesday 9am - 4pm Thursday 9am - 4pm Friday 9am - 4pm

Mastery Horsemanship

Home
United States
Corvallis, MT
Mastery Horsemanship

Call Directions Website

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Mastery Horsemanship, Horse Trainer, 1730 Sutherland Lane, Corvallis, MT.

Don and Rachel Jessop love to inspire & help you create a confident and connected horse partnership🧡Fun and success!😍
Sign Up for our FREE Weekly Newsletter *Inspirational articles *Tips *Trivia and *Updates https://www.masteryhorsemanship.com/subscribe Don and Rachel Jessop created Mastery Horsemanship to help Horses and You have Happy Results.
*Making Horse Time Simple and Fun!
*Using Proven Step-by-Step Formulas.
*Solid Steps To Confidence
*Get your Dreams With Horses!
*Whether you are starting out new or you're ready for advanced maneuvers.

10/31/2026

Just like a student needs space to focus, a horse needs an arm's length to truly learn. When you maintain the right distance, you create clarity rather than confusion. Setting gentle boundaries is the secret to building a deeper, more responsive connection.

10/31/2026

SHARPEN THE SAW

Imagine needing to collect wood for your fireplace before winter comes. You, being the woodsman you are, drive to the hardware store and purchase a chainsaw. When you bring it home, you find you're quite happy with the saw's performance. It cuts like a dream and work goes by without a hitch. After an hour or two of using the saw, you notice the performance waning, but you keep on cutting because you've got a job to finish. But the performance of the saw continues to fall and you become frustrated with this new saw that clearly isn't as good as the hardware store promised. So you drive back into town and take the saw with, ready to give "what for" to the store owner. When you arrive and begin your clever complaint, the store owner quickly interrupts you and asks if you've taken time to sharpen the saw blade. Feeling like a fool, you apologize and ask for help to sharpen the blade.

In the analogous story above... you are you, your saw is your horse, and the blade symbolizes the signals you use.

Imagine wanting to ride your horse all summer and enjoy the fulness of nature. You, being the horseman/horsewoman you are, drive to the barn and saddle up your horse. For days and days, you are quite happy with your horse's performance. He moves like a dream, responding to every request. After a few days however, you notice your horse's performance waning, but you keep on riding because you've got a full summer to embrace. But the performance of your horse continues to fall short. You feel him getting sluggish, and dull, and you become frustrated with your relationship. Clearly the trainer you hired didn't live up to his promises. So you call your trainer and begin to explain how unsatisfied you are with your horse's performance, but as you start complaining, your trainer quickly interrupts you and asks if you've taken time to reinforce the signals you use. Feeling like a fool, you apologize and ask for help to sharpen those signals.

Question... When you ride, are you using signals or training signals? And... what should you be doing? I don't mean to give you a leading question. It's a question I want you consider deeply. I believe that even the best trainers are sharpening the signals pretty regularly. Perhaps even every ride. But most riders, even great riders, take days off training and simply use the signals like you would use a saw. However, most trainers worth their salt, know that every so often you have to stop riding around and start sharpening the blade. A few days of refreshing the cues and reinforcing the aids always yield great results.

When's the last time you dedicated a couple sequential training sessions to sharpening your horses responses to hand or leg yields? Sideways or circles? Backward or forwards? Shoulder yields or hindquarter yields? Standstill or stopping cues, etc.? Are you stuck in a loop of simply using your horse, or are you willing to practice building up the communication between you and your horse?

Here's are three areas where most people fail to sharpen their saw blades and even inadvertently cause the blade to become dull quicker than normal.

1. When getting on your horse, you allow him to walk off without correcting the behavior. A good trainer would correct the horse, even get off and bring the horse back to the block, then get back on, again and again, until the horse's standstill cues are set well.

2. When asking for for walk, trot, or canter, you accept the gait even when the transition to the gait was poor and dull. A good trainer would slow down and ask again and again until the transition is correct, and only then allow, the horse to stay in the gait.

3. When riding in the arena, you don't ask your horse travel straight ahead on a narrow track. A good trainer consciously practices hand and leg cues to move the horse's shoulders, hips, and nose back to a predetermined track, to reinforce straightness and prepare for upper level maneuvers.

There's more, so much more. Would you like to dive deeper into how you could sharpen the saw? Would you like to learn techniques specific to you and your horse? Join me. Don

10/31/2026

Training a horse is all about subtle responses to big surprises. Watching him stay calm instead of spooking confirms that my boundaries are finally working. It is incredible to see that level of trust grow between us.

10/30/2026

THE SACRED ART OF LEADING AND FEEDING

I can tell within seconds if I'm witnessing a master at work with their horse, or a novice. I can tell just by the way they go about leading a horse or feeding a horse.

These two experiences, leading and feeding, are perhaps the most undervalued of all horsemanship experiences among novices. And sadly amongst some people who have kept horses their whole lives. The reason it's sad is because it lends to the idea that horses are for riding and everything other than riding training isn't really training. Of course, this idea is incomplete and inaccurate. Having horses is about much more than just riding. Just ask your horse.

Horses need basic care like food, water, shelter, space to move and social experiences. But horses also need leadership. And what better place to offer leadership than when you feed and when you lead. To help understand what I'm talking about I'll give you two scenarios and then reshape how you should respond in those two scenarios.

SCENE 1: FEEDING TIME
Joe walks out to the barn to collect some hay for his horse. Joe's horse notices what's happening and begins to whinny and pace the fence, excited for his meal. Joe wheels out a load of hay and begins to throw it over the fence. Joe's horse is already at the fence and leaning over, taking a bite, even before it leaves Joe's hands. Joe doesn't mind, he just tosses the hay over the fence and walks back to the barn to clean up and reset for another day.

Question for the reader: What is Joe's horse learning? Is he learning to be calm or anxious about feeding? Is he learning to patient or frantic? Will he learn these lessons and will those lessons then crossover into other areas of Joe's time with his horse?

I hope you can deduce the truth. Joe's horse is learning to be impatient and frantic about food and it will crossover into other areas of training. So what could Joe do different?

Scene 1: Feeding Time Revised

Joe walks out to the barn to collect some hay for his horse. Joe's horse notices what's happening and begins to whinny and pace the fence, excited for his meal. Joe wheels out a load of hay and begins to throw it over the fence but pauses because his horse is trying to take some hay before his turn. Joe drives the horse backward, away from the hay then sets the hay on the ground within his own reach. The horse quickly returns to get his hay but Joe say's "no," to the horse, "not yet." The horse looks at him quizzically and Joe reaches out his hand to offer a connection. His horse ignores the offer and ducks under his hand to grab some hay. Joe quickly drives him back again, then reaches his hand out to offer a connection again. Finally, his horse reaches out his nose to Joe's hand with a soft expression on his face, and they connect. It's brief but sincere. Joe then steps back and allows the horse to step in and begin eating. As his horse begins eating, Joe lingers and even reaches out to pet and bond with him while he's eating because Joe knows that bonding with a horse while eating is as good as anytime because it floods the horse with positive associations with Joe.

Question: What did Joe's horse learn?

Joe's horse is learning to be patient, connected to Joe and not the hay, trusting that Joe, even though he's tough, is kind and wants to make a true bond.

SCENE 2: LEADING
Sally finishes working with her horse in the arena and begins leading her back to the field where she'll let her go. Her horse is walking a little faster than Sally, apparently ready to be free. So Sally hangs on a little tighter on the line and quickens her pace to keep up. When she reaches the gait, her horse is noticeably more anxious. After working with the gate and finally getting it open she steps inside and wrestles with the halter until it slips off her horse. Her horse then trots away, happy to be with her old friends. Sally gathers her things and heads back to the barn unaware of what her horse has learned.

Question: What has her horse learned? Has her horse learned to walk Sally's pace or do her own thing? How will that translate to riding? Has her horse leaned to be patient and connected or... distracted and impatient? What will happen tomorrow when Sally goes to get her horse?

I hope you can deduce the truth again. Sally's horse is learning to be disconnected and impatient, doing her own thing. A horse that leads poorly also rides poorly, often moving at their own pace with no regard for their leader, unless the leader hangs on tighter to the lead rope or reins. Her horse will be harder to catch tomorrow as a result of being let go like that. So what could Sally do different?

Scene 2: Leading Revised

Sally finishes working with her horse in the arena and begins leading her back to the field where she'll let her go. Her horse is walking a little faster than Sally, apparently ready to be free. Sally notices this right away and addresses her horse firmly by planting her feet and driving her horse backward, resetting the position, and asking her horse to stay at her pace, connected with a loose line. When her horse steps back and connects, Sally continues walking toward the gate. By the time Sally reaches the gate she's made more than twenty five of these harsh corrections, stopping her feet each time and resetting the position, and her horse is finally starting to get the idea. And... each time she corrects the position and connection it gets a little easier. After opening the gate, Sally takes her horse into the field, at which time, her horse seems to get anxious about Sally taking the halter off. So instead of just taking it off, Sally walks her horse around the field, reinforcing the connection she wants. When her horse is calm, Sally takes the halter off, asking for connection one more time. Then, Sally walks away from her horse instead of her horse walking away her. Sally knows that being the first to leave is important. She knows that training calmness and connection, in position, is valuable for everyday riding and she's also certain that her horse will be easy to catch because she left on such a positive note.

Question: What did Sally's horse learn this time?

Sally's horse is learning to walk at Sally's pace which will crossover to riding. Sally's horse is staying with her at the end, proving to Sally that it's okay to leave because they are connected. Sally's horse is learning patience and positive associations to people despite the firmness Sally had to operate with during those early corrections. Sally's horse is becoming a true partner.

In both revised scenarios, Joe's and Sally's horses are becoming smarter, calmer, more connected. All this training took place outside the ring, outside the traditional training areas. And, as a result, Joe's and Sally's horses will be safer and happier around people than any other horses without this handling. All because, in the end... Joe and Sally learned the sacred art of leading and feeding.

Thanks for reading, Comment below, Share your thoughts. Share with your friends to help them improve their horsemanship too. Don

10/30/2026

True horsemanship isn't about rushing to the saddle. It is about building trust, teaching a horse to think with you, and ensuring every session is a positive experience. Small, consistent steps lead to much better results than trying to force it all at once.

10/29/2026

Canter sideways over the pole, with a turn and flying lead change. This is a work in progress. Ready's confidence over the poles is improving.

10/29/2026

EAGER TO LEARN

I am eager to learn. I find learning fun, challenging, and enriching. How about you? How about your horse?

Did you know that most horses are eager to learn but they require a special kind of teacher to hold that desire for learning? Do you know how to be that kind of teacher?

Being the best teacher for your horse is not as hard as it might seem. Most people get a lot of it right. But there are a few points that require thinking beyond what your heart will tell you. You have to take a deep look into psychology.

Basically, if your horse loves you, he or she will do more for you. Have you ever heard the saying, "A horse will do more out of heart and desire than anything else?" I heard that nearly every day in my early training with horses. It's a good one to remember. You should always find a way to earn your horse's heart and you'll get further, faster, and have a better time for both of you.

Here is where it gets a little deeper into psychology. If you try to win your horses heart by being nice (too nice) you'll fail. One quick story to illustrate:

I got a phone call the other day and the horse owner on the other end of the line expressed how her horse was pushing her around. Literately stepping into her space and making her move out. It happened when she was feeding, grooming, leading, and pretty much everywhere. "I don't understand it," she says. "I'm super nice to her, In fact I've doubled up on being nice and I've been extra nice lately. I give her treats, I spend time with her. I groom her. I never hit her. I never hurt her. I want to win her heart. Why is she pushing me around?"

Can you see what I see? Can you see how, inadvertently, in an effort to get to her horse's heart by being nice, she ended up rewarding the wrong behavior?

Imagine a horse that's big and confident, stepping into your space, taking your space, and you back out because you don't want to offend the horse. OOPS! That's what she was doing. Giving over her leadership. Now the trouble really starts. She can't ride, she can't lead, she can't do anything the horse doesn't want to do. Her horse is in no learning frame of mind. So earning a horse's heart sometimes requires deeper thinking. It requires being firm at just the right moments (usually during leading or feeding) and causing the horse see you as the leader. Then, at other moments, using rewards and kindness, causing the horse to see you as a friend.

When a horse trusts you, and respects your lead, you will maintain that horses desire to learn. Now, when you approach a new task with your horse, you just have to hold your ground a little longer and reward at the right time and you'll notice how the horse begins to love learning. Don't push your horse while he or she is trying to figure out what you want. You should be able to see when a horse is curious and investigative. Also, don't pause and wait while the horse is standing with a blank expression for too long. I could go on with even more details. In fact we dive deeper and deeper in to mastery with horse psychology course and more. You can join me.

Comment below, ask any question, share with your friends. I love hearing from you. Don

10/29/2026

True connection with a horse takes more than just technical skill. By prioritizing how he thinks and responds over forcing the saddle, you build a foundation for success. Slowing down today ensures he carries you comfortably for a lifetime. What is your go-to method for building trust with your horse?

10/28/2026

Before bringing out the flags or the tarp, focus on the fundamentals. If one piece of the foundation is falling apart, everything else will eventually crumble. Success starts with the basics.

10/27/2026

Great clinic in Oroville, Washington. Don has just been cleared to start walking again. Thanks to Cynthia for organizing. Great group of horsey people :-)

Address

1730 Sutherland Lane
Corvallis, MT
59828

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4pm
Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	9am - 4pm
Thursday	9am - 4pm
Friday	9am - 4pm

Telephone

+14063601390

Website

http://masteryhorsemanship.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Mastery Horsemanship posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.