April Article: Connecting Down to the Feet: “She’ll just stop going forward, rear, whirl away, and run off with me. It’s like she tunes out and I can’t control her.” This is the description of the beautiful 17.1 warmblood mare that was brought to me recently for training. The owners were right!
After a couple days of riding in the arena, I rode the mare out behind our stable area and she acted exactly as described. These were the symptoms -- The problem was that I didn’t have a connection to her feet. We put a halter on our horse’s head and a bit in its mouth but ultimately what we need is control of their feet. When I lift on a single rein there must be a response in my horse’s feet to follow that direction. Here are a few practical things I’ve been implementing to help this mare “think down to her feet.” Read Full Article

Richard Winters Horsemanship is proud to announce our new partnership with Lubrisyn - oral joint supplements. Dr. Van Snow, one of the leading performance horse veterinarian's, on the West Coast, specifically recommended that we start our great reined cow horse "Hip Adam's" on LubriSyn. It was his experience that this daily dose of product would help keep him in top condition and lessen his need for invasive injections.

We have been very pleased with the results. We are asking a lot of our performance horses and keeping joint fluid at their optimum level is something that makes a huge difference in their comfort and longevity. LubriSyn products are so much more than an ordinary oral joint supplement. When you use LubriSyn, you get the same natural joint protection used by champions in thoroughbred racing, dressage, hunter-jumping, roping, barrel racing, cutting, reining, western pleasure, the dog show ring - and more! LubriSyn has also come out with LubriSynhu for humans - which is an oral joint supplement made of hyaluronan - the natural fluid that lubricate and protects your joints. We are now carrying a full line of LubriSyn products for horses, dogs, and humans. Place a order for LubriSyn products

Road to the Horse
Previous Champions of this prestigious colt starting event are; Clinton Anderson, Stacy Westfall, and Chris Cox. It was a privilege and honor for me to have been invited to participate as a 2009 contestant. My fellow competitors were “Americas Most Trusted Trainer” -- John Lyons and past RTTH competitor and RFD-TV personality -- Tommy Garland. I've known the agony of defeat but hearing my name announced as the winner of Road to the Horse 2009 is a victory I'll never forget!

Road to the Horse 2010 Recap
Road to the Horse 2010 is now history and the Winters’ family had a fantastic time! Cheryl and I were thrilled to have our two children, Joseph and Sarah, on hand for this exciting weekend. Competing in this colt starting challenge with Craig Cameron and Ken McNabb was an honor and they both did an outstanding job! When the dust settled and the scores were tabulated Craig Cameron was crowned the 2010 Champion. I don’t believe that I have ever seen a happier cowboy! It was well deserved and we congratulate him!

Cheryl and I want to say thank you to Tootie Bland and the entire Road to the Horse family for putting on a great show and allowing us to be a part.

Click here for all the exciting details.  

Horsemanship – A Lifelong Passion
For nearly three decades Richard has dedicated himself to honing his horsemanship skills and to passing this knowledge onto others. His vast experience includes starting literally hundreds of horses that have gone onto almost every equine discipline imaginable. Richard's credentials extend from the rodeo arena and high desert ranches of the west, to being a highly sought after trainer and horsemanship clinician.

Richard considers himself a product of many great horsemen that he has had the privilege to ride with. The absence of a fixed destination fuels his passion. “The further I go in my horsemanship, the further there is to travel while on this journey!” From the weekend trail rider to the competitive world of three day eventing and reined cow horses, Richard makes it possible for people to realize their horsemanship dreams.

Richard’s credentials include World Championship titles in the National Reined Cow Horse Association along with being an A rated judge. In 2007 Richard was named champion of the West Coast Equine Experience “$10,000 Colt Starting Challenge.” He was also presented with the 2007 Monty Roberts Equitarian Award for outstanding achievements in Horse/Human relationships. Richard was also honored to be named champion in the 2009 Road to the Horse - Colt Starting Challenge in Nashville, TN. In July of 2009 Richard won the Super Cow Horse competition in Santa Ynez, CA. Most recently Richard once again competed in Road to the Horse 2010.
 
Much of Richard's work has been accomplished through the numerous clinics he conducts around the country. He also enjoys being a guest presenter at various Horse Expo's. 2010 proves to be a busy year with Expo’s and Horsemanship Clinics schedule in California, Tennessee, Nebraska, South Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Hawaii, and Oregon.

A love for horses, knowledge developed through years of practice and study, and a willingness to continue learning, are the components that make Richard the “Masterful Equine Communicator” that he is today. 

Richard, along with his wife Cheryl, reside in Ojai, California, at the historic Thacher School where he currently serves as Artist-in-Residence. You can view Richard Winters Horsemanship programming on Dish Network Channel 9411 on Sunday’s and Wednesday’s at 6:00 P. M. (PST).

Welcome to wintersranch.com.
Horseman and Clinician Richard Winters has been helping people through training, clinics, horse expos and horse training DVD’s and videos for over twenty five years. Richard is a performance horse trainer with a natural horsemanship touch. From reined cow horses to jumping and dressage, Richard’s horsemanship is universal. As you browse through our site, you will learn more about the Winters’ horsemanship events, clinics, symposiums, horse vacations and horse handling products that are currently available.

Continued Partnership with Bar Ale Feeds

We are excited about our ongoing partnership with “Bar Ale Feeds” of Williams, California. Bar Ale produces quality feeds for many farm animals with an exceptional line of Equine Feeds. Integrity, quality, and honesty are absolutes in our business and Bar Ale Feeds has proven to stand on these same principles.

After an in-depth tour of the Bar Ale mill and a meeting with Bar Ale’s President, Tracy Lewis, and their Operations Manager, Grant Garland, we knew that this was a partnership we wanted to pursue.

Richard Winters Horsemanship has been feeding Bar Ale Equine Feeds to all of our performance horses with great results! You can learn more about these quality feeds at www.baraleinc.com.

Guest Presenter: 
California: UC Davis - Horseman's Day, Equifest, West Coast Farrier Association Convention, The Central Coast Equine Experience, Western States Horse Expo, Vaquero Days, and Behavior Medicine Symposium – UC Davis’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Nevada: Senior National Rodeo Finals, The Western States Wild Horse and Burro Expo. Montana: Equine Affaire. Pennsylvania: Natural Horsemanship Association. Canada: The Mane Event, Massachusetts Equine Affaire.