Miles Kingdon Horsemanship
Orange Valley Merritt, BC, Canada

On the Outfits after our fall works were done we’d change up our mounts. Shoes would get stripped off those that had gotten us through fall works, wormed and t...urned out with the cavvy on those big open grassland hills of bunchgrass. Fresh horses were then sharp-shod for winter work. The cavvy would spend a couple months up on those grasslands, until the snow got too deep or too crusted for them to paw out a living then we’d trail them home. On those grasslands the horse can maintain a good body condition till they’re trailed home. We’d ride up every two weeks or so to check their condition and get a count on them. Many times I have watched them standing on an open hill with tails to the wind and wondered what they were thinking. I do know that most horses that got turned out for the winter and went to work in the spring were more responsive, more ready to comply with their riders requests.... so what happened during that time away from human..? I have long called those winter grazing grounds ‘ The Horses Fort Lauderdale.’ I have only ever heard of Fort Lauderdale , but I know it’s a popular vacation spot for people to ‘ get away.’ Up there they only have family of the horse to interact with. This place is great medicine for the horse. I am pretty sure that occasionally they think back to jobs they have done with their human, be it chasing down a cow critter to rope it and bring it to a standstill, a great feeling of adventure and power to the horse; or cut a cow from the herd. All jobs that the horse knows we need it for. Horse knows we need it to help us. No matter how rough or smooth their human is , they’ll mostly find a way to adapt and help their rider. I believe they enjoy those jobs enough that once their belly is full and there’s little enough to do but stand on a hill and drink in the view of beautiful distance , they occasionally do recall those moments. I’m sure they also think about their oat box with a big tin of oats in it. But come springtime the horse is usually more of a mind to give their rider another chance. I do appreciate those moments to maybe do a bit better than I did last time. See more

"Simply Riding" by Miles Kingdon "This ability to slow our bodies down by focusing on simple movesand as wellthe same moves for like responses, is why I have riders ride forward, then stop, then back up two steps with hand-rein signals, as well as tipping at the pelvis. Then I show them the quarter turns. With each move they must WAIT. This is so they themselves take the time to THINK about the next move. Hand, then leg, with shift of balance to indicate direction. I’ve... not been able to advance some of my students too far too quickly because first I had to make them aware of all the signals they are sending. This is why I give simple, short moves for them to request of the horse. But many times I have to remind them: You are sending far too many signals to the horse, always. It’s been a tough job for me to slow down the hands, especially on some experienced riders. That comes first of all, with teaching them to not train; but to simply ride the horse and FEEL the horse. These steps are all of utmost importance in teaching people to be AWARE of their movements; which of course begins with understanding where their thoughts are and how to slow down their minds to FEEL rather than organize. It is surprising the differences in abilities in people based on desire, feel and balance; basically DNA. Each will advance as far as their own DNA will permit; but each person will get better with desire. This is another reason why I have people experiment with one-hand riding; they are then doing less and able to observe how the horse softens with less control. And EVERY person is better at some things than othersthey will not all advance to the same level at each exercise. But this is the unique thing about my workshopsthey are tailor-made to each horse-rider duo." Thanks, Judy G. for asking your thoughtful question~it gave Miles the opportunity to further express his philosophy....

Don't miss these workshops!! And don't worry if you aren't straight up in a bridle~a bit, a snaffle or the hackamore is just fine....this is just part of the journey!

MKH WORKSHOP SCHEDULE 2021!! Gonna be a fun year!! https://www.mileskingdonhorsemanship.com/workshop-template

Miles will be offering an "Intro to Ranch Roping" one-day workshop May 21 at 134 Mile House. (The weekend "Stockmanship" workshop is already full with a waiting list only). Learn how to prepare your horse for the job, and the basics of ranch roping. Join Miles for a fun-filled day of learning for both you and your horse. contact Possum for more info: [email protected]. Auditors welcome. Miles will also be offering private and semi-private lessons Thursday, May 20th. Check out our website for upcoming workshops available in Knutsford , Pritchard, Merritt, Dawson Creek, Buick Creek, AB and SK! mileskingdonhorsemanship.com

DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME ONE-ON-ONE WITH MILES THIS WEEKEND IN ABBOTSFORD!! A couple of spots left for private and semi-private lessons~contact Possum if interested: [email protected]

ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT!! Join Miles for a private or semi-private lesson at Elisha Bradburn's indoor arena at Faithful Farm (Aldergrove, BC), Dec. 4-5! Make a difference in your horse and yourself~learn a better way to REALLY connect with your horse. Contact Possum for more info: [email protected]. Photo credit: Craig Bird

PRIVATE AND SEMI-PRIVATE LESSONS WITH MILES! Want some one-on-one with you, your horse and Miles? ONLY 2 SPOTS ON SATURDAY AND 2 SPOTS ON SUNDAY LEFT!! CONTACT POSSUM ([email protected]) IF INTERESTED. Miles offers a unique, honest perspective and will be able to provide you with tools enabling you to advance your horsemanship, in ways your horse will readily understand. ... MKH will be offering private and semi-private lessons at an indoor arena in Abbotsford this weekend.) For more info, contact Possum: [email protected]. Photo credit Mary Durant~thank you! See more

ONLY ONE SPOT LEFT, THIS FRIDAY 4:15-5:15!! CONTACT POSSUM IF YOU ARE INTERESTED. Want some one-on-one with you, your horse and Miles? Miles offers a unique, honest perspective and will be able to provide you with tools enabling you to advance your horsemanship, in ways your horse will readily understand. MKH will be offering private and semi-private lessons at Faithful Farm's indoor arena, in Aldergrove Nov. 6-7 (Fri.-Sat.) For more info, contact Possum: [email protected]. Limited spots available, so book soon! Photo credit Mary Durant~thank you!

Curious about a better path towards a more responsive horse? Miles will help you understand the subtleties of the hackamore and how it works. And as always, horsemanship first and ways to prepare your horse. Join Miles this Saturday at the Merritt Rodeo Grounds and help raise money for the NVRA. Auditors welcome! Come show your support for the NVRA!

Seven-half-diamond workshop. Three days was a good amount for these horses. This group was most all repeat riders and most have been hosts of our workshops. I’m... happy to say I’m seeing real nice development in softness with their horses. Better engagement from behind, and encouraging the riders hence horses to wait a bit more has really paid off when working in a herd of cows, where 45 and 90 degree turns put the horse and rider further ahead of the cow than ‘ keeping up’ does when asking the cow to leave the herd. This entire group works hard at getting better with their horses which really starts to pay off when they are getting right. Very impressed with this group. Out on the trail it took a few stops and time to allow the horses to find a place to wait for the human again, but by the time we got back to camp the riders were able to provide more freedom to their horse and have a relaxed and softer feel again. Thank you so much to Jim and Heather O’Conner who work very hard at keeping a welcoming and well maintained venue. Wonderful view all around. Thank you too our good friend Rob Dinwoodie for spending a very enjoyable evening with us and sharing his cowboy music with us . Rob is such a talented entertainer. Possum and I are very thankful for all the help from these people, it all makes life a lot easier for Possum who spends a lot of extra time preparing for this. This was a memorable weekend. See more

Only a few spots left~don't miss out on Miles Kingdon's last stockmanship workshop of the season! Auditors welcome. Contact: [email protected]

COME SUPPORT OUR YOUTH AND THE NICOLA VALLEY RODEO ASSC.! Miles is offering a free horsemanship workshop for youth, ages 10-18. Sunday, Sept. 27. For details and registration, contact: nicolavalleyrodeo.com! Auditors welcome.

COME SUPPORT MERRITT'S OWN NICOLA VALLEY RODEO ASSC.!!! MILES IS OFFERING A SPECIAL ONE DAY WORKSHOP ON UNDERSTANDING AND USING THE HACKAMORE, SEPT. 26. TAKE THE MYSTERY OUT OF THE HACKAMORE AND LEARN HOW TO REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE CONNECTION WITH YOUR HORSE....FEEL, TIMING, BALANCE. FROM SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS INNATELY THE ART AND SCIENCE BEHIND USING THE HACKAMORE. AUDITORS WELCOME~ PLEASE CONTACT: NICOLAVALLEYRODEO.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION. PHOTO CREDIT: MARY DURANT....THANKS!

I love this place and working with these people! The Miremadi’s are very gracious hosts and fun to ride with. You can see cow country every you look from up her...e. What a pleasure to work with people that are happy picking up the small , slow stuff for their horses. So important for the horse to learn these steps slowly so they understand what we expect from them. I’m quite happy to see all these horses waiting for a signal from their rider and doing the job smoothly. Thank you everyone. I enjoyed my time here with you all. See more

Just one more opportunity this 2020 season to go experience putting your horsemanship to purpose with master horseman Miles Kingdon at the scenic 7/2 Diamond ...Ranch just outside of Merritt, BC. This is a 3 day workshop, working on preparing our horses and selves for cattle work, learning the basics of stockmanship, and finding the feel and timing so critical to advancing with our horses. Come and join the amazing group of people Miles’ workshops always attract, and glean some of his hard earned wisdom for yourself. Hope to see you and your horse there! Please contact Possum at [email protected] for all the details and to register while there are still spots in this final ranch workshop of the season! #mileskingdonhorsemanship #mileskingdon #ranchworkshop #hackamorehorse #bridlehorse #cattlework #ranchy #learnfromacowboy #cowboyin #punchy #handy #arealhand #horsemen #ridealong #savvy #realdealhorsemanship #stockmanship #feelandtiming #2rein #spadebithorse #bridlehorsejourney #vaquero #buckaroo

Thanks for this cool poster, Elisha! Join Miles in September!! Another magical workshop happening at 7/2 Diamond Ranch~your horse will thank you, and you will bring home tools to advance yourself and your horse, no matter what your discipline is.... [email protected] mileskingdonhorsemanship.com

Another wonderful MKH workshop! Thanks so much for the awesome hosts, Christa and Pinto, and all the participants!! Miles had a blast!

Huge THANK YOU to Jim Fox for letting us work with your herd!

Another great Miles Kingdon workshop held at the Rock'n Star Ranch in Pritchard.:photo credit Susan Dahlstedt

Two more photos taken by Mary Durant, First one is of Julie Crawford and her good mare she rode at our workshop last August. Julie is doing great things with this horse.

Miles Kingdon Workshop Bruce Christie Horses Miles Kingdon Julie Crawford

Workshop at Bruce and Stacey Christie Horses. This is a picture Mary Durant took that tells a lot about her eye and her timing. Great work! The horse is John Loree’s. John has done a lot of good work on his horse, as others did as well, like Julie Crawford. Do many great hands at this workshop. Incredible amount of knowledge and very nice horses, all. I’m very honoured to work with people that can put rubber to the road so to speak. ... Bruce and Stacey and Cheyenne worked hard to get this all prepared and they are wonderful people to work with. May have to just drop by and ride out for awhile... Thank you Kim Taylor for setting this up. Your idea of a support group ride is a very good idea and I hope you all continue to do that. I know people that would love to be part of a crew of like minds to ride out with. Take advantage of that. Remember to ask yourself, What is the horse thinking..? Try not to miss those things. It is so very important to what kind of relationship you have with your horse. And it speaks well of yourself. Thank you. I’m thankful to have met all the people I do on this journey. Very thankful. See more

Join Miles at the spectacular 7/2 Diamond Ranch Sept. 18-20!

Spectacular image by Mary Durant....taken at Bruce Christie Horses MKH workshop last weekend

One of Mary Durant's images from Bruce Christie Horses MKH workshop last weekend! Great shot of you, Kim Taylor!

DON'T MISS THIS TERRIFIC OPPORTUNITY TO RIDE WITH MILES!!

Eastend Saskatchewan workshop. Thank you Byron and Caroline Templeton for all your work hosting, organizing, and feeding us all. Beautiful country. Great weathe...r. Very impressive group of people. I’m sure happy to see so many good changes in communication between horse and rider since last year. Definitely noteworthy efforts there. Couldn’t have hand picked a closer group to teach. Great time. Thank you all for trying to find a better feel with your horse, and your patience. Very attentive group. Hope to do more here! See more

Join Miles for lots of learning at fun at this exquisite fall venue! Contact Possum: [email protected]

WORKSHOP FULL!! AUDIT SPOTS AVAILABLE!! BRUCE CHRISTIE HORSES is hosting MKH Aug. 22-23. Private lessons available August 21. Contact: [email protected]

Memphis and Miles....first ride in the 2 rein...

Memphis had his first ride in the 2 rein....

Join Miles for 3 days of learning and fun~your horse will thank you! Contact Possum: [email protected]

Contact Christa for more info [email protected]~you and your horse don't want to miss this opportunity to ride with Miles!

Another brilliant opportunity to learn a unique and practical style of horsemanship/stockmanship from Miles! Horses really 'get' what Miles is offering, and you'll learn tools that work~and can be applied to every situation. It's about giving the horse a choice, and releasing on the feet; something the horse easily understands. Feel. Timing. This is horsemanship at it's best~something your horse will so appreciate you for. And a bonus of learning more with cattle; giving you...r horse purpose, keeping him interested,and building his confidence (and yours). We'll wind up our season w/3 days at the spectacular 7/2 Diamond Ranch, Sept. 18-20. It's gonna be a fantastic 3 days of terrific learning opportunies, and FUN. This will be the 3rd workshop in the Kamloops/Pritchard/Merritt area for the months of August/Sept. Please refer to our website: mileskingdonhorsemanship.com for our workshop schedule, and plan on joining Miles~it will truly make a difference in your horse and in you. Auditors welcome $25/day. Contact Possum: [email protected]

Rock'n Star Ranch, Pritchard, BC, Aug. 29-30. Join Miles for another awesome workshop with cattle! A terrific venue, superb horsemanship, stockmanship and fun. It's a chance to learn how to really connect with your horse, in a language the horse truly understands, simply, easily, and quickly. It will also give your horse a purpose and you'll have a terrific time! Contact Christa: horsemanshipfromthe [email protected]

Don't miss this one! Just a few spots left!

ONLY A FEW SPOTS LEFT! Join Miles at beautiful BIG SKY STABLES in Knutsford August 7-9 for 3 days of superb horsemanship, stockmanship and fun! If you want to learn a better path towards horsemanship and a connection with your horse, while giving your horse a purpose, this is for you. Your horse will thank you! Contact Dave: [email protected] 250.377.5996. See mileskingonhorsemanship.com to see more upcoming workshops in the Kamloops/Pritchard/Merritt area.

A great time had by all! Thanks to all the participants!

NATALIE AND MIKE ANFIELD....ANFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY!

THANK YOU ANFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY!

Absolutely incredible weekend at Big Sky Stables in Knutsford BC... Miles Kingdon’s Bridled Stockhorse workshop was filled with good attitudes, great horses an...d fantastic learning opportunities for everyone. Miles’ willingness to share his experience, knowledge and skills is second only to his ability to provide confidence and support to the riders he’s teaching. Thanks for organizing and hosting this event David Ciriani and for sharing your passion with us all Miles! Looking forward to roping some posts! See more

When you want your horse to reflect the way you ride, you have to ride them the way you’d like them to be. Miles Kingdon Thanks for another great day of learning opportunity and good times Miles and David Ciriani!

If you haven't read this gem, check it out!! And leave a review!!!! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS MADE THIS HAPPEN!

Only 2 spots left!

Very thankful to Brian and Bonnie at Big Sky Stables, for use of their very nice venue for our workshop this last weekend. David of course worked hard at organi...zing this. But I’m glad for the people who took this workshop. Very open minded riders. Again very nice horses. We had warm summer days to ride through cattle country and sort Doug and Laurie Haughton yearlings. Quite a rewarding weekend for me and I’m happy to see changes from hands to the horse. See more

Here’s the group photo of our workshop this last weekend. All very nice people riding real good horses. Mike Anfield took this spectacular photo. Ain’t he good? Thank you Mike.

Little Tate sure misses going to work with me... I was ready to shut the tack room door and drive off but Possum was giggling and pointing at this sight.

Was a GREAT 3 day weekend; many thanks to EVERYONE!

MKH Workshop June 28, Big Sky Stables, 2nd Day.....

Rock’n Star. June 20/21, 2020 It's easy to like my job when you get a group like this. Carolyn said she felt like she went from grade 2 to grade 12 in one weekend, and that is a huge compliment to me. I appreciate that~it means her eyes were open. Everyone's eyes were open. Nicole~you wanted to know what I thought? There is your answer; thank you for being so positive. Ashley~I'm glad you can take a joke; I may even be able to make eye contact w/you one day! Connie~wha...t can I say? Such loyalty and support and so eager to learn--Boberry is so fortunate. Christa~you are a powerhouse, esp. for carrying the load you had this weekend, losing your friend and still staying so positive, and doing such a good job w/your horses. Pinto~you are a blast! And you dig so deep to figure the horse out. GREAT JOB EVERYONE! From Phoenix and Godzilla, whom I was proud to meet, and Zahra and her incredible artwork, along w/that incredibly beautiful scenery...what an amazing venue. Gord, what a great neighbor, so appreciated the heifers. And the invaluable Dani....you are such a good friend, and irreplaceable; we all love you so much. And nice job with the photos. See more

Here is Miles' Workshop schedule for 2020. A limited # of private and semi-private lessons w/be available on the day before each workshop. Please contact Possum for availability: [email protected]

Miles will be offering a few private and semi-private lessons on June 26, prior to the workshop in Kamloops this weekend. Contact Possum for availability: [email protected]; Miles w/be offering a limited number of lessons on the day before each workshop in the following months. For a list of his schedule, please refer to: mileskingdonhorsemanship.com

THIS WEEKEND! ONLY ONE SPOT LEFT!!

Only 3 spots left!! DON'T MISS THIS ONE!!

Only a couple spots left! Don't miss out on these Bridled Stockhorse Series! Horsemanship, Stockmanship, a fantastic learning experience, plus a ton of fun! Contact Dave: 250.377.5996

Just a couple spots left!! Don't miss out on these Bridled Stockhorse Series~lots of learning--horsemanship, stockmanship, and tons of fun! Contact David: 250.377.5996

Thank you Merritt's NVRA~for all the effort put into this; it was a great day and a great workshop!! Check out MKH's workshop schedule: mileskingdonhorsemanship.com

Only a couple of spots left!! Join Miles in Pritchard June 20-21!!

SUPPORT MERRITT'S NICOLA VALLEY RODEO ASSOCIATION!

Support the Nicola Valley Rodeo Assc.! Join Miles June 13 for a one day horsemanship workshop! All proceeds go to the NVRA. LETS SUPPORT OUR MERRITT COMMUNITY!!

What a soft feel is, to me... When I lift the reins and the energy comes through the body up the spine and down the legs to his feet; not one step at a time but instantly. Only one way to get there. It can’t be pushed. If it has been pushed into the horse to ‘get there sooner’, then all those muscles, tendons and nerves are guardedtense, even, from the fear of doing the wrong thing. Fear is a very prevalent emotion in the horse. It’s as vital to him as flight itself because... it’s the emotion that tells them to save themselves. When these muscles are tense, they will never respond as readily as if they are confident. Confidence in the rider, brings on confidence in the horse. It enables the horse to use the thought process easily. Then it becomes easier for the horse to think his way through things for you. Knowing this , we must introduce our direction to the horse and wait for the reaction from the feet. Then the horse realizes what we expect of him. When we are slow and confident in our requests of him, even methodical, the horse will confidently increase his reaction time and then we can ask for more speed. When the horse knows what is expected of him and responds on the feel of your ‘lift’ it goes straight to the feet. Soft feel. See more

MILES KINGDON HORSEMANSHIP 2020 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE (or refer to our website mileskingdonhorsemanship.com). Also September 18-20 at 7/2 Diamond Ranch near Merritt!!

MKH is offering 2 workshops at the spectacular 7/2 Diamond Ranch this year, July 18-19, and September 18-20 (3 days!). July will be 2 fun-filled days of horsemanship, introducing your horse to cattle, learning how to read livestock, and learning to work cattle efficiently, safely and calmly. 7/2 Diamond ranch is situated in the heart of cattle country: guestranchbc.com, just 35 minutes south of Merritt. Auditors welcome $25/day or $40/weekend. Contact Possum for more info: [email protected], and check out our website: mileskingdonhorsemanship.com for more workshops!