Fearless 2 First

      I didn't grow up in a "horse training" family, my Dad was a farmer/rancher and we used horses to gather cattle, that was it.  My Dad didn't keep any geldings ever because they couldn't have babies.  He also wouldn't haul horses around from pasture to pasture, he always had a couple of mares at each place, so you saddled there and went to work, praying that you didn't get bucked off.  When I look back on that, it was really not a safe thing to do, stepping on fresh horses planning on going straight to work.   I've ridden all my life, but it wasn't until I was 14 that I got into barrelracing.  As a kid I played on the  barrels with my horse, actually ruined her on them because I had no clue what I was doing.    My Dad was on a farming job, when he met Barb Lucas (1985' NFR Qualifer) I soon became Barbs' shadow and I went with her everywhere.  She let me run a "Real" barrel horse of hers at a rodeo, a couple of weeks after we met.  I was literally Scared to death the entire run, we placed 3rd and all I could think about was learning how to do that again.  Barb was phenominal, I owe her so much.

I left home at a young age and it wasn't long before I found myself training horses, to the best of my knowledge and working long hard hours.  I always Loved horses, and felt so connected to them, early on during a complicated childhood horses were the only friends I felt I had, maybe that's why I feel such a special bond with my horses.  I've always eat, sleep and breathed horses!!! 

     My Dad also, traded horses and I was his rider we went from sale to sale trading horses, I'd get attatched to some, then he would sell them and it'd break my heart. I was never lucky enough to have a real barrel horse bought just for me, my Dad would hand me a horse and he'd say ''I'm not buying you a horse, you can just make that one." Those turned into lots of work.  I always had something to ride, although it quite possibly wasn't safe, I know my Dad did the best he could.  Family members would all say, "Tana is just going thru a horse phase, she'll get out of that, when the boys come around"  Well, that didn't happen.  In 2003' I  took out a loan to purchase a mare by the name of XV Wild Child, she'd bucked off my friend in the parking lot at a barrel race, and my friend was done...  I'd loved the mare since she was 3, but my friend wouldn't sell her, she was 6 when I got her.  She wouldn't back up when I got her, and her circles were so flat, choppy and rigid that I thought I'd made a mistake...Wild Child lived up to her name from time to time.

      Although the mare was bull headed, so was I.  I'd dealt with tough horses all my life so I was going to make her work somehow.  Although there were humbling moments, she and I won just over $350,000 plus tons of buckles/saddles and even a truck..Wild Child aka Teddy taught me what a Great Horse feels like, and she simply made me a better trainer and person in general..

• We qualified for Tx Circuit Finals in 05 &06

• 4x Prairie Circuit Finals Qualifer, 2x year end Champions

• 2011' Dodge Nat'l Circuit Finals Champion

• Multiple short go qualifer at huge rodeos like, Houston,Austin, Greeley, Kansas City, Odessa, San Angelo and the list goes on...

• July 3rd 2011' we were sitting 8th in NFR Standings and a horrific fall in Eugene Or took us out, I had broken my foot, ankle and seperated my shoulder.  It was heartbreaking.

• July 21st 2012' we were sitting 9th in NFR Standings and unfortunately she sustained an injury and our season was over.

 

     I've learned through adversity like this to be thankful for what you have and live each day as if it's your last.  There's been many ups and downs since then but, I work hard everyday on being as positive as I can.  If it's meant to be it will be!!! I'm currently Competing on a Stallion owned by Spitz Quarter horses, Streakin Boon Dox, he's been a challenge for me simply because is a stallion and he likes to be in charge.

    I give lessons frequently, I try to make it a positive experience for both horse and rider.  I love helping riders gain confidence in their horses and also, their horses gain confidence in their jockeys.  It's so special to me to get a call or text from one of my students saying how great their run just felt!!! I'm not in this for myself, I'm in it for the horses!!!  I enjoy seeing positive, open minded riders begin to realize they can do this and it can be fun again!!!  I've learned the hard way some will say, but that's what it took to make me this way.  Much like Wild Child I've been a little hard headed from time to time.  It's my pleasure and honor to try and help clients with their horses, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but regardless to the out come, I promise we will learn something.  I'll never know everything about training horses, lord knows if you think you know everything then you've gone to the highest level you will reach... There's always a horse out there that can tell you real quick that ''you don't know anything."