The mounts that are used by the Mounted Police must be desensitized to everything! That is exactly what Celeste Bennett and Brandy Von Holten did this summer while attending the National Mounted Police training with Instructor Bill Richey.
Celeste’s mule, Tucson, is a 13-year-old Molly mule from ...
What do you keep in your saddle bag when you are heading out for a trail ride? Water? Chapstick? Hoof pick? Vet wrap? Bear spray? Pop tarts and cheetos?
Sometimes, no matter how prepared you are, you just cannot prepare for some situations. With my husband and I owning a trail riding facility...
Country Tough Trail Versatility (CT2V) is a nationals versatility association. Competitors have three events in trail, obstacles, and a ranch horsemanship pattern. All scores are combined for an overall versatility placing.
2020 is the third year for CT2V. In 2019, the association grew over 100%...
Luke, the donkey, has hit the jackpot in terms of finding a forever home at our trail riding facility in Missouri. He will have the task of being loved by children and adults during birthday parties and being kissed by brides that want to have unique wedding photos. It is a pretty good gig that is...
Just to think that Country Tough Trail Versatility (CT2V) had 38 participants in 2018, and has 165 members in 2020 is humbling. CT2V was founded by David and Brandy Von Holten in Mora, MO. CT2V is a competition association that is a combination of obstacles without any points for speed, a ranch...
Adventures at Von Holten Ranch is a book series consisting of six books with each book featuring a different horse or mule from Von Holten Ranch in Mora, Missouri! Book number two and six, bring a mule to the spotlight for different character development lessons. Book number two, Adventures at Von...
JoJo, a 9 year old Missouri Fox Trotter John mule, is rocking the mounted archery world! A national mounted archery competition was held Oct 26-28, 2018 in Mora, Missouri. With mounted archery just now making its way into Missouri and Kansas, every competitor present was able to say that it was the...
Bits can be tricky, and you can find yourself disqualified very quickly if you do not understand the rules about bits and training aides.
Before we talk about bits, let’s discuss training aides. Tie downs, cavessons, and running martingales are training aides. They are meant to help in small dose...
As a trail riding facility owner and equine event host, I have noticed trends, highs, and lows. It appears that people want more these days when it comes to their expectations from their equine. There was a huge spike in obstacle competitions in the past, but now there is a transition from obstacl...
Let me give you a brief feel for my absolute favorite sport with my mule, mounted archery. If you are right handed, you have your bow in your left hand. Your stirrups are a little shorter than you are used to typically, but that is ok, because you are lifted out of your seat. You’re riding a sadd...
Tracking your time in the saddle or driving your horse can be exponentially beneficial. Using a tracking system can be fun and rewarding. Let’s explore reasons to track your time and the effects of your efforts, either intentional or unintentional.
Goal Setting
To accompli...
Let me introduce you to Bill Hachmeister! Bill is a serious competitor in equine obstacle competitions, a former serious softball competitor, but he is also a beloved son, father, husband, and grandfather. Bill was selected to be on the national board for the Country Tough Trail Versatility (CT2V)...
