12.03.10
Posted in Tuckers Trails of Training, Video blogs at 6:15 am by Administrator
Cindy Branham & Josh Lyons
Over this year one of the highlights was working with Josh Lyons at his ranch in Tennessee. No other horseman on the planet has impressed me more than Josh Lyons. I am honored to be one of his and his fathers certified trainers and I strive to be as great as a horseman as Josh is someday. His perfect timing in release and special ability to communicate with horses is so evident in his horses movement, focus, and performance. If you have not attended one of his demonstrations or clinics you need to make a point to get there. I was fortunate to work with him twice in 2010 and plan on making it a annual appointment. Josh’s passion for reining is truly demonstrated in his demo horses. From extraordinary lateral movement and unbelievable sliding stops, he shows me what is possible and helps me reach harder for my goals.
After riding one of Josh’s horses I am humbled to realize how much better my own horses can be. So, work hard we did! In this video blog you will get to see one of the lessons I learned to improve my horses spins. The horses ribcage is a very important part of the horse that is essential in forward movement and collection. Without it the horse stays stiff and resistive. So in the spin it is very important that the horse relaxes his ribcage around your inside leg (inside of the circle) as to allow the horses inside front leg to reach back to the horses tail. When the horses inside leg gets out of the way, the horses outside leg (outside of the circle) is free to follow making the spin have fluid movement. Check out this great video blog as I walk you through the lesson!
Spinning with Cindy Branham & Tucker the Mustang Video blog:
Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm2UOHo68mc
Thanks so much to Josh Lyons for his hospitallity and sharing his knowledge with me and my mustangs!
Tucker the mustang and Cindy Branham are sponsored by: Tucker Trail Saddles www.tuckersaddles.com
Go to www.cindybranham.comto find out how you can “Release the Possibillities..” with your horse!
Thanks again Josh Lyons! Check his schedule for a clinic near you www.joshlyons.com/
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11.28.10
Posted in Video blogs at 1:14 pm by Administrator
Competition is something that has always been very challenging to me. When I was a child, 4H and Competitive Trail Rides were my first experience with horsemanship challenges. I was blessed by God in He allowing me to work with a horse that started out not being mine. She was a hot headed, fire breathing, arabian mare that knew the word Go, and that is about it. With little instruction, I prepared her for our challenges in 4H horse shows and the trail rides. Disappointed many times with the outcome of our work, being that the majority of my competitors had there own trainers and very educated horses. However, when the first blue ribbon was printed with our names on it, the pride and encouragement of reaching a goal made all the disappointment worthwhile. Fortunately, competition is not all about winning or loosing. I think the most important part of competition is the preparation. Over the past several years I have come back to the competition scene, not only as a coach/teacher, but also as a competitor. In 2007 I started my first mustang for the very first mustang makeover. As I look back to that first competition day I was a nervous wreck!! But, as I look at the three months before that, I realize how much the goal of having my mustang prepared and ready for competition day made me work harder at being a better horseman. The goal of having my mustang ready for competition day pushed me into learning how to communicate more efficiently and educate myself in better horsemanship. Without the end goal of “competition day” there would of been no purpose in pushing as hard as I did, or even spend the extra hours and time with my mustang. As I now look at this past year, I have so many more “competition days” under my belt. My ”nervous wreck” days are a thing of the past because I have more experience. I could look at just the competition days of 2010, and be very disappointed with not getting my name or my horses names on that coveted blue ribbon. I could be very discouraged and let this break me as a horseman and competitor. Or I could look at how far I have come as a horseman over this past year. Not just have I worked my personal horses more building there education to a higher level; but I have pushed my skill and worked with more educated horseman than myself learning new methods to increase the communication and upper level performance with my horses. I can look at my horses and see such amazing improvement in them from the beginning of the season, until now. So, how important is competition? I think it is very important because it pushes us to work hard at being better horseman. It gives us a goal, so we take the time to teach our horses what we want them to know, instead of expecting them to know it. It builds a better relationship with our horse. So next time you are so nervous before you compete, or disappointed because you didn’t win or place where you think you should. Stop. Pat your horse and yourself on the back and be encouraged from where you started from and how far you have come. Some day, that blue ribbon may have my name and my horses name on it; but if not I will keep reaching for that goal and become a better horseman and person. Heres a video of the best Extreme Cowboy Race run I have ever had at the EXCA World Championship 2010! I also compete on a AQHA mare, named Bailys Soul Dream. I have trained her from start till now for the owners of R&D Ranch. Showing her this year has been a first for her, and she has come leaps and bounds from the first race of the season. She is an incredible horse and I am honored to work with her. Even though we didn’t make the finals, I have to be thrilled with this run, as she and I were one together. It felt amazing and I had a blast! It made all the “competition days” worth it and encourages me to keep it up! What a blessing God is in my life as He helps me learn that winning isn’t everything. We need to be thankful for all the blessings in our life and not let the non-important things break us!
Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ituf00ng_Nc To see Baily’s and my first Go at the EXCA World Championships! It was the best run I have ever had!
SPONSORED BY: TUCKER TRAIL SADDLES www.tuckersaddles.com
GO TO www.cindybranham.com FOR MORE INFORMATION!!
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11.18.10
Posted in Joshua's Trails of Training, Video blogs at 10:23 am by Administrator
So, first of all. Deep breath. It has been a busy season! I have so enjoyed spending the past couple of days with my family! A little rest has been great! Last weekend was a rush! We had a blast! I qualified with my horse “Joshua the Mustang” and Sharon Reeds AQHA mare, “Bailys Soul Dream”. Even though we didn’t make the finals, I had a great time and had the best runs on my horses I have had all year! We grew together and improved from the beginning of the year. We reached our goal of making it to the worlds and look forward to the 2011 season.
Two of my students, including my son, qualified for Craig Cameron’s EXCA world championships! My true passion for horses is ignited in me when I am able to watch as my students and there horses grow together in there partnerships! Congratulations to CC Metzler and Shelby the Mustang for making the World Finals Novice Division just over one short year from adopting Shelby. The teamwork CC, Shelby, and I have accomplished has been a true joy and accomplishment this year! I am very proud of both of them. Also Congratulations to Alaina Rhonke and her Paint mare Corky! She and her horse have worked so hard and come so far in the last year! I am so proud of them both and look forward to seeing them continue to grow together!
Finally, last but not least….My son Justin and his mare RC Dream Maker, aka Dreamer; did a great job. As a mom I am so proud of Justin. He has worked so hard to develop his horsemanship fueled by the competition drive of the Extreme Cowboy Racing. Before EXCA and the UHCA Justin was content to just ride and have fun. Which was fine with me. Us parents sometimes have a tendency to push something that we love onto our kids. And sometimes we push to hard and actually drive them away from what we want them to do. So I have always taken the approach with my kids to never push them to ride. Well, Justin has the love of horses flowing through his blood. After competing in his first Ultimate Horsemans Challenge he was hooked and wanted to up his horsemanship skills. It was great for me to have a way to encourage correct horsemanship and teach him to be a better horseman. He wanted to learn it so he could compete better and have success. This is the idea behind my RC Extreme Trail Team here at R&D Ranch. As a group we teach our horses how to handle there fears through obsticles and we increase there overall performance with step x step horsemanship manuevers. Over all a win/win for horse and rider. We create safe partnerships that lead to fun and exiciting adventures!
Justin did great, making it to the top ten finals in the Young Guns division and finishing 5th place overall! I am smiling so big right now!!! This is even more fun when it is your kids!
Check out some clips of my runs on Joshua. I will post my runs on Baily soon! Then make sure you watch my sons finals run on Dreamer! It is awesome!
Cindy and Joshua: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRKjxHtGBqU
Justins Finals Run: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5j_rZbdBNM
Thanks so much to my number one sponsor, Tucker Trail Saddles go to www.tuckersaddles.com to pick out your perfect Tucker saddle.
Go to www.cindybranham.com to find out how you and your horse can reach your goals and Release the Possibillities…Lk 18:27!
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11.04.10
Posted in Joshua's Trails of Training, Video blogs at 9:28 am by Administrator
Two more weeks of the 2010 Competition and Clinic Season! Wow, am I tired!! I leave for Iowa tomorrow for clinics, lessons, & Ground Work Demonstration. Then in about 10 days Joshua the Mustang, Bailey the AQHA mare, and I take on the World at the Extreme Cowboy World Championships! After that a little r&r I think is due for me and my crew! We had a great year! Tucker the Mustang and I have the whole winter to get him ready for next years Extreme Season!!
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Most important pre-competition hug!
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In this weeks video blog I am letting you in with a front row seat of our great adventure, “Project Cowboy”. 175 Professional trainers and there best mounts competed for the title of “The Great American Horseman”. See how we did against some of the best horses in the country! Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw5Hd9FJzvM
Go to www.tuckersaddles.com for your perfect trail saddle, Cindy and her horses are sponsored by: Tucker Trail Saddles
Go to www.cindybranham.comto see how you can “Release the Possibilities” Lk 18:27 with your horse!
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10.28.10
Posted in WEG 2010 Georgetown Equine Expo at 8:15 am by Administrator
As I look back over the past couple of months it has been a blurr! From Kansas, to Kentucky, to Tennessee, and then to Texas! As I look forward, I actually think winter doesn’t look so bad. Sitting in front of the warm fire sipping coffee. Looking ahead to the next month I am off to Iowa and then to Craig Cammeron’s World Championship for the Extreme Cowboy Races! I have been focusing my training time on my two competition horses Joshua the mustang and Bailey the AQHA mare. I qualified on both of them for the World Championships and I am so excited!
Tucker is getting some well deserved time off on green pastures. Two times a week I work him. He and Joshua the Mustang are becoming great liberty horses together in the roundpen. It is pure joy to work with both of my mustangs. They are truly my partners and friends. In my video blog this week you will get a chance to see me continue my work with “Bling” the warmblood mare. She truly was searching for a trusted leader. Find out why I call my training program “Un-natural” horsemanship and why I train the way I do. It has saddened me to hear of some of the training methods still used with horses today to try to “break” them into obedient machines, such as; roping mustangs the first day of training, throwing them to the ground, and erasing there spirit to the point of complete obedience. This type of training is not necessary and I hope I can change the idea that it is ok to treat any breed of horse this way. The connection I have with my mustangs and other horses comes from building a trusting relationship. It is still built on obedience, but the horse obeys because it has chosen from its heart to work with me, not against me. The horse learns to trust my judgement and lean on my understandings; instead of its own fears and doubts. If only I could lean on my God that way and stop resisting his leadership. Peace comes from giving it all to God, by choice so that we can find that trusting relationship every horse and human longs for.
Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjC6QIEA9qM For Video Blog!
Check out www.tuckersaddles.comfor your perfect trail saddle. I ride in the Black Mountain, close contact trail saddle. It fits me and my horse to a T! Cindy, Tucker, & Joshua are sponosered by Tucker Trail Saddles!
Go to www.cindybranham.com for more information on how you can “Release the Possibilities” with your horse!
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10.20.10
Posted in WEG 2010 Georgetown Equine Expo at 7:08 am by Administrator
Wow, WEG 2010 at the Georgetown Equine Expo was great! Bling, a four year old Dutch warmblood seemed very challenging from the start but she quickly found the peace of a trusting relationship and changed her heart from fear and frustration to trust and obedience! Over the next several weeks stop by and watch her progress over the ten day time period I had the oppertunity to work with her. See many training tips that can help you and your horse find that trusting partnership you have been looking for!
Watch as Tucker the Mustang and I work Bling in the roundpen teaching not only “Bling” but my new partner “Tucker” how to help me teach another horse all about trusting relationships! Learn how your horse is much like a water baloon!
Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnPseaCykiQ To watch video!
Go www.cindybranham.com for more information!
Sponsored by Tucker Trail Saddles www.tuckersaddles.com
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10.01.10
Posted in Joshua's Trails of Training, Video blogs, WEG 2010 Georgetown Equine Expo at 4:13 am by Administrator
Hello from Kentucky! Last night I was privileged to attend the Reining Freestyles at the World Equestrian Games! Wow, it was so inspiring and exciting! I came right back to the Georgetown Equine Expo and rode Joshua the mustang. So inspired, unknown to me a fellow trainer and extraordinary horseman, Randi Thompson was watching. She is a women who has passion for helping people connect with there horses at a level that is remarkable. Internationally recognised in the Dressage community. Her Horse & Rider Awareness program is incredible. I was honored to get a private training session with her and delighted with the results from my horse.
As I look at my horsemanship, I am always aware that the sky is the limit on learning more and more. The understanding that we never stop learning is so important so that we never get stagnant in our horsemanship. Keeping our minds open and willing to think out of our “box” helps us become better horseman and gives our horses the opportunity to grow to.
A special thanks goes to Randi, for encouraging a trainer and women who struggles as she pushes forward trying to break through that glass ceiling in the clinician world. You are an inspiration to me and give me strength to keep working through the road blocks.
God is speaking clearly to me through so many people. Even when we get discouraged if we tell God we are open to His plans and His paths and willing to do whatever He wants and ask Him to speak to us, He does, He truly does.
Check out this great video of me teaching at the Georgetown Equine Expo on opening day! See Joshua the Mustang sitting and laying down and why I think tricks are good for training. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDScQVHWwOs
Tucker Trail Saddles sponsors me and my horses! Check out www.tuckersaddles.com and pick out your perfect saddle!
Go to www.cindybranham.com for more information on how you can “Release the Possibilities” with your horse.
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09.29.10
Posted in Tuckers Trails of Training, Video blogs at 4:16 am by Administrator
Hello from Kentucky! The WEG 2010 are well underway! We are busy seeing the sites of the Bluegrass, teaching people, and playing with our horses! Unfortunately the 700,000 people the USA expected to participate in these Equestrian Games has not happened! The economy, a lack of organization, and simply the lack of cooperation between venues has seemed to have stunted the excitement of the games. What a disappointment to me that our blessed United States of America could not come together to produce a unified Western experience for the greatest international horseman of the world!!
However, we are making the best of the lack of people and building relationships with the peers surrounding us. I have met great people of faith, trainers, entertainers, and incredible business owners who all have the same goal and passion; the horse!! So we are building synergy together and making a plan for our present and our future. God is working in all of our lives and a revolution in the horse industry is stirring!!
So, hang on to your hats because the whirlwind of the future of the Equine World is coming to lift us up into an inspirational moment in time!!
Need some tips for your horses when you travel long distances? Check out this video!!
Cindy and her Mustangs are sponsored by Tucker Trail Saddles!! go to www.tuckersaddles.com to select your perfect trail saddle!!
Go to www.cindybranham.comfor more information on how you can “Release the Possibilities” with your horse!
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09.17.10
Posted in Joshua's Trails of Training, Tuckers Trails of Training, Video blogs, WEG 2010 Georgetown Equine Expo at 4:50 am by Administrator
The Georgetown Equine Expo would like to welcome Cindy Branham, who will be providing daily clinics September 26 – October 6 from
12:00 – 1:30 in the Buffalo TC Arena.
Cindywill be taking an imported 4 year old Dutch Harness 16.2 hd mare that has not had much handling. This mare is spooky, untrusting, and big bodied. In 16 days Cindy will transform this mare into a trusting, tractable, ride-able mare. Come watch the TRUSTING transformation happen!
I am soooo excited about going to the Georgetown Equine Expo and getting to take part in this historical two weeks in U.S. history! The World Equestrian Games is a unique opportunity to see the top horses and horseman not only in our country, but in the world! The Georgetown Equine Expo is an added bonus event going on simultaneously as the WEG! So Tucker the Mustang, Joshua the Mustang, Sharon Reed, Josie Thompson, my little girl Madison, and Me are headed to Kentucky next week!! Ryan my husband, will join us later in the week! I can not wait!!
Sponsored by Tucker Trail Saddles! www.tuckersaddles.com 
Go to www.cindybranham.comto see how you can come and “Release the possibillities” in your horse! “With God all things are possible…”Luke 18:27
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08.25.10
Posted in Tuckers Trails of Training, Video blogs at 3:28 am by Administrator
As I reflect back over the past three months I have allot of mixed emotions! Following Gods path for my life is always my goal; although I tend to lean on my own understandings some times and try to forge a different path on my own strength. The trail on my own is bumpy and hard work! So looking into the future after the SEMM is scary if I look towards the trail that is alone. Gods path in my eyes seems harder than the path I had in mind; but the reality is that any path that isn’t Gods direction is the wrong path and will just get me lost. When any of us day dream about the possibility of receiving a large amount of money, we see endless possibilities. So even though my commitment to this adventure had so much more to do with everything but money, the idea of winning it gave me hope to a brighter future.
I have done allot of pondering and soul searching to seek out Gods direction and look at the lessons learned from this adventure in my life. I realized that God needed to teach me how to really trust in him and make a better financial plan for my family that required me to work at making it work better than it has in the past. Being more responsible with the provisions he provides us on a daily basis. His plan for me was exactly what I told him I was willing to do. Make myself available to show His love to all around me and allow Him to use me for his service not my own. And coming out of this Makeover experience I have no Regrets which is a personal victory for me. I had a great time, enjoyed my husband, children, and the many freinds and family that came to Fort Worth to support Tucker and I. I didn’t allow the fears of failure or the pressure of the money ruin my experience. Trust and faith remains the two key elements that give me peace.
In the process of making over a wild horse into a trusting partner, the horse has to have an internal battle with himself to face his fears and trust a greater power to provide his needs and keep him safe. If the horse resists the gift of partnership and provisions his life becomes full of worries and hard work trying to succeed on his own. The day and moment he decides to let go of his fears and learn to trust is the first day in his life of faith in a new idea of what life may be all about. Trust comes from following that new faith and depending on that greater power in his life to renew his strength and help him find peace. The growing partnership starts with a step of faith and then builds into a trusting partnership! How parrallel that is to how God works in our lives. Gods amazing grace wipes away our mistakes and our past with the blood his son, Jesus Christ shed on the cross. The victory in his death is that he rose from the dead to lead us into an eternal life with him by our side here on earth and then us at his side in an eternity in heaven with Him! When we make the choice to ask forgivness for our past mistakes and believe and accept his gift to us, we then have a trusting leader to direct us on the straightest trails of life because he will be leading the way and will never forsake us!
Proverbs 3:5&6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understandings, in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall make your trails straight!
Stay tuned for more Tucker & Joshua the mustangs blog as a weekly update and training tip for you to continue this path with us. Thank you so much for following Tuckers new life and for those of you that came to the competition, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support and giving me an audible message from God that we are winners in his eyes to! May God bless you and keep you!
Spend the SEMM Weekend with me go to the links below to view all four preliminary runs and the fianls run, including the judges results and the overwhelming crowd response!
Day One of the Competition! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0qgkrfYpEw&feature=channel
Day Two and the Full Finals Run including the judges scores and the overwhelming crowd response! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4aG_qXJqwU&feature=channel
Thanks again to Tucker Trail Saddles for there sponsorship of Tucker and my training program! Go to www.tuckersaddles.com to select your new saddle!!
Go to www.cindybranham.comto see how you can come and “Release the possibillities” in your horse! “With God all things are possible…”Luke 18:27
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