All our horses both at The Trapper Creek Ranch and The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch (www.thehideout.com), carry the “AH” brand, which stands for Authentic Horsemanship. As you read through this page, you might find some new ideas and theories but all are grounded in common sense. AH Horsemanship is our concept of Natural Horsemanship.
Authenticity Means Independence with an Open Mind…
Authenticity to us means objectivity, respect, honesty and doing the right thing with an open mind. With an authentic approach to training, a horse can develop its full potential, regardless of bloodlines and breeding. Mostly it means handling horses in way it mirrors how horses interact among themselves in the herd.
Our AH string of horses is diverse; Mustangs, registered and non-registered Quarter Horses, Arabian half-breeds, Arabians and other horses from all walks of life, have passed through AH Training and matched the 3 C’s in order to earn the brand.
At AH we do not believe that a certain breed, bloodline, or paying any amount of money for a horse will guarantee that the horse is, or will be, a great horse. While some breeds produce a higher percentage of great prospects, we believe that all manner of horses can become great horses and partners. How a horse will behave and is trained depends on the humans who handle the horse. When problems arise, most of the time it is not the horse, but the human causing the problems.
There are many horses that given a fair chance, and trained by capable and respectful hands, can be great horses. Some might be more suited for certain disciplines or certain riders, but the foundational training should be the same.
Sometimes financial interest, subjective and opportunistic motivations tend to close the open mind, kill authenticity and often blur the focus on making sound choices to ensure the long-time well being of both horse and rider.
Authentic Leadership & People to support the AH Concept
We recognize that working with horses is similar to working with people, which is all about leadership. At AH Horses & Training, the individuals that work with and train our horses also need to meet our 3 C’s of Character, Conduct and Competence.
Most of the time horsemanship and riding comes down to training the human in better understanding how to communicate in horse language. That is why we believe in both quality ground- work with our horses. This is also the very reason we strongly believe in playing in Liberty with our horses.
Character means honesty, authenticity, objectivity and trying to do the best you can without manipulation or hidden agendas.
The right Conduct is required to channel the above in a respectful, patient and well-mannered way. It means knowing when to be soft and when to be firm, not shying away when confrontation is necessary. Much as horses behave in the herd or in the wild.
In addition to Character and Conduct, we need superb Competence, as it takes professional hands and an excellent eye to lead horse and human to excellence and develop its full potential. Horses have a natural feel for this. They will only realize 100% of their potential with a great 3 C trainer. As an old saying goes, “It takes strong shoulders to carry a lot of wealth, no matter being money, talent, knowledge or power.” Horses do not have much say or choice about their training, so whoever handles them needs do it with the best of intentions in mind.
When working with horses, most of the time the horse is not the problem, the rider or the handler is. That is where we start. Not the other way around.
The Ability to Manage Leadership Skills & Talents
The principles of both AH Horsemanship working according to the 3 C’s concept allow us to train and develop great horses that are safe, responsive and enjoyable, regardless of their breeding or background. The above principles are fundamental in selecting the trainers we partner with to train our horses, our staff and our guests.
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