02/09/06 Horse trainers

Horse Trainers Some professional saddle bronc riders retire to a very natural occupation. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back to tell you what it is. Over the last year or so I've read quite a few stories of professional saddle bronc riders who have "retired" from pro rodeo to work at their new careers of raising and training ranch horses. These are world championship winners such as Bill Smith of Thermopolis, Wyoming and Joe Marvel of Fallon, Nevada. Now you might think, well that's a pretty easy transition  from riding professional bucking horses to riding young horse that might buck. But, what is unique about these two men is that they train their young horses in a "natural horsemanship" way pioneered by Jim, Bill and Tom Dorrance and expanded by Ray Hunt. Bill Smith won the world saddle bronc champion title in 1969, 1971 and 1973 and was traveling partner and mentor to Joe Marvel who won the championship title in 1978. Bill told Joe's dad, Tom, he wanted to learn to ride horses a different way. Tom finally introduced Bill to Ray Hunt and Ray's philosophy has been the basis Bill uses to raise and train gentle saddle horses. Another saddle bronc champion, Mel Hyland sometimes visits Bill and helps him start colts. I think the reason these saddle bronc riders like to train colts in a quiet way is the respect they all had for the good bucking horses they rode and for horses in general. The rough stock riders I knew while I was rodeoing all respected and appreciated the honesty of a good bucking horse. I'm Jeff Keane