Featured Article
Horse Trainer
As a Horse Trainer, you can find me doing the following activities on any day.
- Colt Starting
- Horse training
- Fixing Problem horses
- Ranch Work
- Conditioning your horse to obstacles and different terrain on trails
- Riding lessons
- Help with selling or purchasing a horse
- Pickup and delivery of your horse to training
My name is Mark Birch, my background as a horsemen came through being a stockman first. I grew up in the purebred cattle and sheep industry and have always used horses in every aspect of daily ranch life.
My love for the horse started at an early age and I was soon aware that I had a gift to communicate with the horse. I soon found out that I could get young inexperienced horses to do a full day’s work and perform like a seasoned horse very early on. My passion for the horse manifested itself in my hunger to learn more and develop training techniques that were easy for the horse to
understand and perform with minimal stress to him.
Early in my career, I managed several large cattle ranches from Texas to Montana. One staple that I needed everywhere I worked was a good horse. I have trained my own “using horses” for thirty- five plus years, and I have trained for the public for over twenty-five. In that time, I have grown in the knowledge that horses are as individual as children and that the “cookie cutter” approach to training just does not work.
In working these large ranches, some of them being in the hundreds of thousands of acres, I learned what a horse was capable of. One of largest ranches I managed, the trail between winter pasture and summer pasture was over one-hundred miles. Gathering and trailing livestock horseback over theses distances, I learned how to build a partnership with my horse and the importance of trust and reliance that goes both ways between horse and rider. I have always been a proponent for the horse and have used them for virtually every job on the ranch. I have used horses for doctoring the sick calves to the branding pen, checking fences, gathering and sorting cattle.
I have seen and observed about every different approach to horse training in my lifetime and although there are many different avenues to success, there is no substitute for wet saddle blankets. A solid foundation on a colt comes from consistency, patients and time. Most problems with a horse are manmade, and peoples lack of these three concepts.
My main background has been in building ranch horses, but I have had experience with just about every major discipline there is. I have a pretty good reputation for starting colts, and fixing problem horses. I would say that my
main goal as a trainer would be to try to help facilitate the partnership understanding between horse and rider.
Since I have arrived in California, I have had the opportunity to meet and ride with some of the finest people here on the Central Coast. I have also enjoyed some of the most incredible equine venues that the Central Coast has to offer.
I feel very fortunate to have chosen such a great area to settle in and begin my quest in building a cliental for horse training. I am now accepting new clients and have a facility with all the necessary equipment to begin training you and your horse.
I am looking forward to establishing new relationships and cultivating friendship that will last a lifetime.
For more information or to book your horse in training,
please call Mark at 805-286-8114.
Featured Article
Barrel Racing on the Central Coast
Barrel Racing on the Central Coast
Emily Mangione
The Central Coast is home for National Barrel Horse Association of California District 16. District 16 covers the Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties.
This season we have procured the use of the Santa Maria Elks Event Center, which brings the only PRCA (Professional) Rodeo here. This allows our pro and amateur racers a great place to run or practice for bigger races.
The barrel pattern is a full PRCA size.
The times are very competitive.
The NBHA is the original association for Divisional Racing.
Raven
What is Divisional Racing?
It came from the slot car divisional racing.
Jackpot money is divided into 4 divisions.
The fastest time of the race sets the pace…..
for example: a fast time of 16.00 would win the 1D (First Division),
you add 0.5 seconds to that time to get your 2D (Second Division) making a time closest to but not faster than 16.5, the 3D is added a 1.0 second and the 4D is added 2.0 seconds.
Deidre O'Meara
You can see how that gives all riders a chance of winning some of the coveted JACKPOT.
Savannah
Competing at the local level allows riders to qualify to race at the CA State Finals (must attend 6 local races), which is one of the largest Jackpots awarded in Divisional Racing in the US, not just here in California.
It also allows for possible invitations to the NBHA World Finals. The top 5 riders in each division of a local district are invited to the NBHA World Finals. CA16 have been adding $300 to the Open Jackpot, and that along with the 70% of entry fees makes for some real cash to run for.
Breanna Nicholson
NBHA CA16 offers races for -
Open (all ages & levels of riders)
Youth (18 & under)
Senior (50+)
Novice (horse or rider not to have won $200)
Buckaroos (young beginners and little lead liners).
It is truly fun for the whole family.
You can visit our website; or you can contact the District Director, Valerie Harris
Tammy-Savannah-Raven-Brittany
Pee Wees - barrel race
Jones Ranch buckle and day winnersJones Ranch Buckle winnersJones Ranch Buckle winners