05/24/2026
Building horsemen over here!
Listen we are probably going to ruffle some feathers with this post but as producers who have seen it all we feel like this should be talked about.
The American Rodeo was this weekend and seeing young ladies like Taylor Armenta, Hadlee Landers, Tabitha Dyal, and Dusky Lynn Hall competing at 14 years old and under is absolutely incredible. These girls are HANDS. Their talent, dedication, horsemanship, and work ethic are on another level. Seriously mind blowing 🤯
But here’s the part (I’m just going to say it.) Parents need to understand…
These girls are NOT the norm. They are the exception. They and their horses are 100% elite athletes that know their job the nano second they step into that arena.
As producers, we are seeing more and more parents trying to shortcut the process by over mounting under qualified kids on horses they simply are not ready for. And honestly? It’s becoming dangerous.
We’ve seen horrific wrecks. We’ve seen kids completely lose confidence in themselves and their horses. We’ve seen horses learn bad habits because they figured out real quick the rider couldn’t hold them accountable.
Just because a horse is fast does NOT mean it’s the right horse for your child.
And just because your kid wants to run like the girls listed above does not mean they should be thrown on a 1D rocket ship tomorrow.
What happened to the good old solid kid horse? The kind that teaches balance, timing, confidence, and actual HORSEMANSHIP before speed ever enters the conversation?
Because the truth is… the girls competing at that level likely spent years putting in countless hours riding, learning, failing, practicing, and developing their skills. They didn’t wake up one morning and magically become elite horsewomen.
Slow down. Let your kids learn. Let them become horsemen FIRST. Most importantly Invest in lessons. Invest in confidence. Invest in the foundation.
A kid that learns correctly on the right horse will eventually become way more successful than one that gets terrified, hurt, or loses confidence because the adults pushed too hard too fast.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with dialing it back and building great horsemen before building great barrel racers.
Thanks for coming to our Ted Talk
BRDS
