info@HanginSaddleRanch.net

Contact Us!

Subscribe to Newsletter

 

The first thing a new horseman learns under the guidance of Hangin' Saddle Ranch and Glenn Hunter is there is a lot to these animals. A horse has its own personality. Just like a person's temperament cannot be forcibly changed, neither can a horse's. But with work, many a horse has gone from not being mountable to taking commands and doing what it is told to do because that horse trusts its rider.

 

At Hangin' Saddle Ranch a lot of time is spent on safety and training- and not just horse training. For new riders taking lessons, this means learning about equipment (tack) and how to properly saddle up, the nomenclature, the horse's anatomy and basic physiology before ever getting that first foot in the stirrup.  With horse riding, it is not a matter if you will get hurt, it's a matter of when and how bad. With proper training the goal is to reduce the number of incidences to the rider and the horse, as well as the severity of them. The horses spend a great deal of time on ground work and being desensitized to common stimuli to give way to trusting the rider for what to do. As Glenn Hunter says, "if you can't get it done on the ground, you won't get it done in the saddle. It's all about ground work."

 

At Hangin' Saddle Ranch, Glenn Hunter does not "break" horses. Instead, horses are trained, their trust is gained. Breaking a horse, or breaking its spirit, is not necessary to teach a horse to walk, take a saddle, take a mount, and the many other behaviors necessary in horsemanship.

 

Glenn Hunter's Background

 

​

Glenn Hunter with Sonny

 

As a boy, Glenn Hunter had been around horses and cows since he was about 14 years old, and now most of his life. Glenn's father worked at dairies, and wherever he could find work to support his family. When his family moved to California, Glenn stepped back from horses and for a while did not have a lot to do with them, aside from the occasional invitation to go riding with friends. Instead, Glenn was busy working and taking care of his family and raising his children.

 

About 30 years ago, Glenn moved to Maricopa, AZ.  Glenn wanted to get back into working with horses and retrained himself. Glenn observed that a lot had changed in 40+ years with horse training. Training is different now. It was a lot crueler 40 yrs ago.

 

Glenn has been here at his current location for 11 yrs. His first horse, Sissy, was just then 3 years old. Sissy did not know a lot, but she was rideable.  In order to retrain himself, Glenn watched a lot.  He trained Sissy from things he saw, but it was 7 years ago when Glenn became fascinated with horse training at Hangin' Saddle Ranch.

 

Glenn spent a lot of time watching a very well-respected trainer, Roy Kading. Roy is HSR's farrier.  Glenn spent time in observation of Roy, and learned a lot about roping horses, which takes years to learn properly. Glenn thanks Roy today for all that he knows about horses. Glenn would practice what Roy would teach. It takes a solid 90 days to get a horse ready before even getting on it.

 

As a testament to Glenn's training abilities, his horse Sonny won over 30 ribbons and 13 trophies in 2014. Sonny, when bought, was said that he would not amount to anything in the show circuit. As much as Glenn's training is to credit, it is also about the temperament of Sonny.

 

The HSR Difference

 

Glenn Hunter, owner of Hangin' Saddle Ranch, practices the Natural Training Method for training horses. This method involves no abuse. It's a solid 90 days of training, 4 days a week. The time each day depends on the horse. Horses are very intelligent and do not forget anything. For this reason each training session with a horse always ends on a good note.

 

For horses, many of the behaviors they are taught go against their nature. Horses are prey animals. Their eyes are on the sides of their head to judge the distance to a threat. Horses are of two brains: the left and the right. If Glenn teaches a horse to do something in one direction, he teaches the horse to do it in the other direction. Two brains.

 

What is the HSR Difference? It's knowing you can trust your horse to expert care and training, which doesn't involve abusive practices; It is knowing that both the rider and the horse will complete 90 days of work and enter into a partnership with each other. It's knowing the trainer will be honest with you every step of the process.

 

Not all horses can be trained. There are some whom, by nature of their temperament, are not workable. Glenn is very honest. If a horse is not workable, he will say so. A horse which cannot be worked is dangerous. Before a horseman makes a commitment to buy a horse, consult with Glenn Hunter at Hangin' Saddle Ranch for expert advisement.