This mare was truly on her second chance when she came into my life.
I picked her up from a kill pen as a 6-year-old Quarter Horse, and while I’ll never know her full history, it was clear that she had learned some strong opinions about people, pressure, and what she was willing to do. She was smart, talented, and very sassy—and I quickly realized I needed more guidance if I was going to give her the opportunity she deserved.
That is when I reached out to Michael Gascon and began working through his program. Together, my mare and I made it through “6th grade,” and I learned a tremendous amount along the way. Eventually, though, when she was asked to step up and do a job, she began bucking and rearing. At that point, I knew we needed more help than I could provide on my own.
I contacted Michael again and asked whether he had an opening in his training program.
Ninety days later, I brought home a completely different horse.
What impressed me most about Michael and his staff was the clarity and consistency of their training. Michael makes the ask clear, then gives the horse the patience and opportunity to work through it and find the correct response. There is no confusion about where comfort is found. My mare learned that when she responded correctly to what was being asked of her, comfort followed—consistently.
For a horse like mine, that consistency made an incredible difference. Instead of fighting the question, she began learning how to search for the answer. She became more confident, more willing, and far more comfortable having a job to do.
Michael and his team did not simply put 90 days on my horse. They helped give this second-chance mare a much better understanding of how to succeed with people, and they gave me a horse I can continue building a future with.
I am incredibly grateful to Michael Gascon and his staff for their patience, consistency, and commitment to helping both horses and their owners find a better way forward. If you have a horse that challenges you, confuses you, or makes you realize you need another level of help, my experience with Michael’s program is one I would absolutely recommend sharing with others.