Hello, I'm Jennifer the owner of American Trail Horses. My goal is to make a perfect match of horse and rider. I'd like to tell you a little about myself so you can get to know me and understand what my business is all about. I have always loved horses since I was a young girl. I use to dream of owning my own horse as I marveled in their beauty and grace. Unfortunately, my family did not have the means to purchase a horse for me while I was younger, so I found another way to get to know these wonderful animals. About five miles down the road their was a Thoroughbred farm that I frequently walked by to pet their horses. I asked them if I could clean stalls and help out in exchange for riding lessons. At the age of 8 I started learning about horses. This was the beginning of my journey with horses. I worked for this barn for a few years and learned hunt seat, general equitation and, of course, riding bareback. The years following I cleaned stalls and helped out at a dressage barn that was walking distance from my school. After school each day I would care for the horses in exchange for dressage lessons and more equitation work. Finally, at the age of twenty, while going to college and working full time, I felt that I had enough money to lease or possibly buy a horse. I tried a new stable closer to my parents home and started with a few lessons to get a feel for what type of horse I would be interested in buying. This is where the story temporarily goes south, and where I learned a painful life long lesson. I did not know this stable very well and I trusted their guidance over my better judgement and instincts. The horse I was assigned to ride that day was a poor match for me and was extremely dangerous. I objected to riding the horse when it reared up inside the stall after I stepped into halter him. After the owner insisted the horse was trustworthy and dismissed my concerns I unfortunately put my better judgement aside and continued to ride the horse. Moments after I sat in the saddle, the horse completely went crazy, lost his mind, and made every physical effort to buck me out of the saddle while bolting at full speed. Eventually I was thrown. My fall resulted in a broken back, 2 bulging, and 2 herniated discs. Needless to say I did not ride for a few years. I met the man of my dreams, married him and finished college. I returned to riding as a very different person and rider. I learned that a trotting horse was very uncomfortable for me to ride due to my back injuries and I learned about the gaited horse breeds. I fell in love with the Tennessee Walking Horses because of their wonderful dispositions and their smooth gaits allowed me to ride again without discomfort. I have incorporated many philosophies into my training principles which I learned over 30 years of experience. Most important are kindness and understanding. I love these animals and treat them with respect and in turn I expect the same from them. Horse ownership is a partnership. Both partners need kindness and understanding to be successful in building a relationship together. Horse ownership is also an investment, what you put into it is what you get out of it. I believe in training horses in a way that is natural for them to understand. All horses are different. No single training philosophy is sufficient to be effective. Just like with people, owners must find effective communication that works for each horse. People have different ways of learning: reading, listening, practicing, watching, physical contact, and by combinations. Horses are similar in this way. Your ownership and riding success will depend on your knowledge and its application to richly connect with your horse. My husband Matt and I started our business in 2005. We are a military family. We support our troops and we donate a portion of all of our proceeds to the Wounded Warrior Project. The premise of our business is to sell the best gaited horses in America. We personally hand pick every horse that we offer for sale and we own all of our horses. We are not brokers . We are very demanding of our horses as safety is my number one priority. I do not work with problem horses or horses with any behavioral issues. I will not risk getting hurt or temporarily fixing a problem to possibly have it recur in the future. I simply pick the best horses. We specialize and are known for having non spooky, super smooth, trail savvy horses. We are the experts in exposing horses to all the things you would want your trail horse to be experienced dealing with. All of my horses stay in KY a few months to make sure that there are no behavioral issues and to ensure that they will perform all necessary tasks on country trails such as crossing water, bridges, going out in large groups, maneuvering skillfully down hills and that they are comfortable riding in the woods. After that I bring to Las Vegas and expose them to busy streets, traffic, mountain riding, dogs, plastic bags, high winds, solo riding... If there is ever an issue with our horses behavior I simply send them back to our farm in KY. We have a zero tolerance policy for any dangerous behaviors and for vices and issues. Our horses are truly the best gaited horses available. Qualities of the horses we offer are the following: A smooth natural 4 beat gait that requires little if nothing for the rider to enjoy, a calm temperament, forgiving and kind disposition, sure footed movement in difficult terrain, willingness to learn and patience in new surroundings, a non spooky solid mind, a people loving hors venality, excellent ground manners and breed standard confirmation and of course a sound body. For every horse we offer over a hundred were turned down. We are extremely selective in the horses that we offer our customers. Our typical customers range in age from 45-70 years old. Most of which are people who have ridden early in their lives had success careers or years of family upbringing and are now finally ready to share their lives with a horse and enjoy trail riding. All of my horses are chosen for this customer type. Customer satisfaction is our number one priority and we will strive to make you and your horse happy. If you have any issues simply calls us and we will help. We have sold over 400 horses and have an extremely high rate of customer satisfaction. Please feel free to read through our testimonials and read what past customers have to say about us. Most of our customers return and purchase two to three additional horses from us and usually their riding friends buy one too. We have sold horses all over the US, Mexico and Canada. We work with several shippers and can help you in making arrangements to have our horses shipped to you safely. Honesty, safety and integrity are the cornerstones of our business. My goal is to match you with a horse that will give the pleasure of horse ownership and years of happiness. |
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| A percentage of each horse sale is donated to The Wounded Warriors Project. |
Policies: HOLD Requires 20% down and will hold the horse of your choice for 5 days. The amount is non refundable but is transferable. The amount is applicable to the purchase price of said horse. We will not accept a hold if another customer is booked to travel to visit with us within the next 48 hours. VETERINARIANS All horses have been examined by veterinarians prior to their arrival at our ranch. You are welcome you to have the vet of your choice* examine any of our horses (at buyers cost). At a point of disclosure and to avoid a conflict of interest *WE DO NOT ALLOW CUSTOMERS TO USE OUR LOCAL VETERINARIAN CLINIC FOR PRE PURCHASE EXAMS *Desert Pines Equine Clinic* |