Meet Dale Rudin

Hi, I'm Dale Rudin.

Horses are a passion of mine. They are my life, and have been since my first pony ride as a child.

Then I developed a love for showing. As a teenager, I joined a training barn. My horse and I were successful in the show ring, but I wasn’t comfortable with the methods my trainers used to train him. He didn’t like it either. His attitude got worse and worse, and so did his performance. At one show he bucked in every class!

I didn't want my horse's well-being sacrificed for any reason.

I didn't know if it was possible train a horse in a way that would benefit him, but I wanted to find out.

So, I took my horse's training into my own hands.

It took three years for me to retrain that horse. In that time I learned tons about equine physiology. I learned the importance of the fundamentals: strength, flexibility, balanced movement, and natural gaits.

I also figured how to restore his trust in me, the rider, by using by building his confidence. teaching him how to do what I asked, and using positive r I realized that a horse that was connected to the rider would be more focused and far less interested, and therefore less reactive, to the world around him.

This became my philosophy:

A horse needs to be a well-rounded and comfortable athlete in order to reach his potential as a performer. Equally important is his emotional state-of-mind. Only when he is relaxed and confident will he be a participating member of a horse-human relationship, a truly willing partner.

That first horse that I re-trained using this new approach far exceeded my expectations. He was unbeatable at shows, and there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for me. He was calm, consistent, and always a pleasure to ride.

It was during that time that I learned what horsemanship is really all about.

That was 24 years ago, and I have been training horses and teaching people what they need to know about horses ever since.

And now...

I want other people, other people with a passion for horses like you, to know what it's like to have a truly connected relationship with a horse. I want people to understand horses, to learn what they need to have long, productive, and successful lives.

I want people to understand that horse ownership is a team effort. Having the right hoof care, veterinary care, dental care, trainer, and instructor...not to mention equipment, nutrition, facilities...well, it can be overwhelming.

I want to make horse ownership a pleasure and a success, whether you have a horse or two in your backyard, you're a weekend trail rider, or a die-hard competitor.

If you are anywhere near Middle Tennessee, (or not so close but willing to drive!) I'm here just south of Nashville at beautiful Maverick Horse and Cattle Company and available to train your horse, and teach you what you need to know to be a confident and knowledgeable horseman or horsewoman.

Or, come to one of my clinics that are held at the ranch or other locations across the country. Or, you can have me out to your place to give a clinic too.

Look for me in Horse Illustrated magazine. I've been writing feature articles in there for years, and answering readers’ questions about their horses’ training in the “Training Talk” column. I write western training tips, too.

Young riders can get my training and showing tips in the “Western Lessons” feature in Young Rider magazine.

I have also had articles Popular Horses Series – The Quarter Horse, Horses USA, and the 2006 Paint Horse Directory. You can read some of my articles at Horse Channel.com.

I've got lots of articles online, and if you sign up for my free newsletter, you'll get to ask your own questions and read my answers, as well as learn about upcoming clinics and news about the ranch.

I hope I get the chance to meet you and talk about horses soon.

If you have a question, comment, inquiry about training, lessons, or clinics, or just want to say hello, feel free to contact me directly. I'm always here to lend a hand. All you have to do is ask!

Enjoy the Ride,

Dale

P.S. Speaking of needing help sometimes, when I decided to build a website, I didn't know where to start! After 3 unsuccessful (and I mean really unsuccessful!) attempts, a friend told me about SiteBuildIt. I've created this entire site with their help. Click here to learn how I did it.

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