12/07/2025
The making of a 'Two Rein' horse
I did not know the true art of this process, an art that has long since been lost in the desire to rush a young horse into being a 'Bridle Horses'.
Its called a process because this is not something that is done over night. You dont just wake up one morning and say- my horse is too pushy in the snaffle/hackamore so im putting a ported shank bit on him and p**f.... you magically have a bridle horse. The purity of this endeavor is the process. One in which you do not skip steps and take short cuts. I've spent many night pondering over the words of many well known, highly regarded trainers that have told me "the bosalita in the two rein is just a legal cavason" or "dont worry about using the hackamore- just use your bridle reins".
Although this may have worked for them- my goal with taking Holly from snafflle bit to hackamore to two rein was so I could make a true bridle horse with no steps skipped. Truthfully, I didn't even consider that I could skip those steps in between.
I have learned so many valuable things during this time. It also reminded me that compromise was not something I was willing to implement into my training program. Consistentcy pays dividends over time, and although customers may not give me the time I need to train a horse without cutting corners, I was able to take my personal mare through the entire process. In 2026 I will be showing a bridle horse that was blown up in one man's hands and slowly put back together in mine. It has taken me 5 years to piece her confidence back together and we still have so much more to learn. I hope Holly is just the first of many for me.
If this process interests you I would highly recommend reading "The Art of Making A California- Style Vaquero Bridle Horse" by Mike Bridges https://timarrperformancehorses.weebly.com/
Official American Paint Horse Association American Quarter Horse Association Pinto Horse Association of America Inc. National Reined Cow Horse Association
