Tallman Training Centre

Past Students

This page of my site features horses that I have trained in the past - please feel free to click on the e-mail links to owners for reference purposes. This page requires permissions from owners to post their pictures (with horses) and/or contact information for reference purposes, and I thank the folks who have given me permission to do so. I believe this page will be a great asset to prospective clients in getting a feel for my services and I look forward to building on it as time allows. Thank you for your patience, please check back for changes.

~ jouLe

Nevada - 3 y/o Canadian Gelding

Nevada is a gelding from Wolf Willow Ranch that I have been working on this past month. When I started riding him, all the ground work was already done (by Cheryl Fotheringam), and after a quick review of all things on the ground, I went to riding him. I put 13 rides on him before hauling him to his new owner near Red Deer, AB. The pictures herein were taken following a 7 hour trailer ride, and very shortly after unloading. I went along to introduce Nevada to his new owner.

Weaving through poles in his new arena.

Nevada Meets Troy & Family

In his 13 rides, Nevada learned to take both leads, carry himself on a circle in both directions (he had some difficulty with this), sidepass, beginnings of turn on forehand and haunches, back, ride indoors and out in arenas and down the ditch. He was quiet with traffic (motorbikes to 5th wheel campers, 3 at a time), crossed pavement, rode through brush and bushes, crossed a wooden bridge (designed for driving cart over), maneuvering obstacles and cones, and relaxing in his clostrophobia (scared in corners in arena). He stands quietly while mounted, and I rode him in from the pasture bareback with just a halter two days before we left for Red Deer. Most of his riding was done under Western saddle.

"Nevada is coming along great. You did a great job working with him and are really please with his progress. . . we have been out at the acreage with Nevada every night after troy gets off work. We spent a good 2-3 hours out there with him. Mark and Chad(my sons)love that horse. . . Nevada is doing good and liking his new friends out at the farm. He is starting to shed so I have his hair everywhere on my cloths. Oh well he's a good fella. The boys really enjoy him. They have gotten to ride him a couple of times. Troy puts the boys on and then Nevada follows troy around the riding area. Otherwise not much else is new here. The weather has turned nice again so it should be a good day for riding. We go out to see Nevada almost everyday." ~ Nadine Wickenheiser

Other Wolf Willow Ranch Canadian Horses I have ridden include:
Orion, a 2 year old gelding - basic riding, taking him from the walk (where we started) through loping on both leads, working off legs and starting to get soft on the bit. Orion is being considered for use on a mounted patrol by the Saskatoon City Police.
Gabe, an 11 year old gelding - basically re-educating. Gabe has been ridden by many folks in his 8 or so years under saddle, and when I started riding him he was so dependent on the bit for balance he drug his nose in the dirt and practically stepped on his lips when I gave him his head - but he didn't like contact. He also had a hard time getting into a lope, dropped his shoulder dramatically when he wasn't dropping his nose and didn't want to stand still. After 8 rides, he is standing great almost 100% of the time, getting softer on the bit (especially in the back up), learning to carry himself and not rely on my reins to balance on (he lopes on a loose rein with his head UP!), and is stopping and rolling back pretty good. He still has some improving to do, but he has proven to me that he is certainly capable of learning! Gabe may well be my favorite Canadian yet, despite his initial shortcomings. Gabe, to , is being considered for the mounted patrol.
Kokanee, a 7 year old gelding - working on basic stuff - self carriage, softening on the bit, stops and backing. Kokanee belongs to B.J. Rodgers, who is currently taking lessons under Cheryl.
Marauder, a 5 year old gelding - just a few rides to refresh an educated horse on being ridden prior to a sale to BC. Marauder is getting along well in his new home.
Mocha, a 5 year old mare - starting from bare bones. Well, Mocha was halterbroke, and some time ago has had a saddle on once or twice and carried a bit about the same. Mocha is much more high strung than the other Canadians I have worked with. When we started, she was all attitude, would not stand tied without pawing herself into a lather and climbing the walls (literally). She is very bold and will face and cross almost anything, but in a high headed snorty sort of manner. During her 6th session (2nd in the roundpen), she lifted her foot to paw only ONCE while she was tied, and was following me around (had met me at the gate when I went to catch her) and accepting the saddle pad and saddle at liberty in the round pen. See the Day to Day page for updates on her training.

Echo - 3 y/o Arabian/Paint Gelding

Echo is a home grown boy, out of a half Arabian mare we raised and a Paint stallion we bought as a 2 year old. I spent some time on his training through my first winter in Vanscoy - quite sporadic, weather permitting sort of training, and the snow was full of ice that winter, so we didn't get much beyond the corral. In the spring I put about a half dozen rides on him before selling him to Alex Green of Saskatoon. After the deal was made, I rode Echo another half dozen times or so. He was loping circles, sidepassing, backing and ditch riding.