Don Boyd Reiner Consultant

08/31/2026

September 26-27 is open on my fall trip!
If you have been wanting lessons message me

08/24/2026

Congratulations Abby!

08/24/2026

08/23/2026

Last night was a historic event for the world of Reining horses!
The Run for a Million was Televised for the biggest promotion for reining horses ever.
Watching 16 o the worlds top trainers and their incredible mounts was the most amazing reining I’ve ever seen!
Thank you Taylor Sheridan and all who put on this amazing show.
Congratulations Cole Price on the best run I’ve ever seen!

08/06/2026

Big shout out to my newest top fans! 💎

Fernando García, Doug McClelland, Tom Calié, Antje Neubauer, Anki Gullbransen

Drop a comment to welcome them to our community,

08/05/2026

Filtered Communication

Communication is never received exactly as it is sent. Every word, gesture, expression, or cue passes through a lifetime of filters before it reaches the listener. Those filters are built from past experiences, successes, failures, fears, confidence, relationships, and expectations.

Two people can hear the exact same sentence and walk away with two completely different meanings—not because the words changed, but because the filters did. (Shannon Shallcross)

Horses do exactly the same thing. They don’t respond to what we intended to communicate. They respond to what they perceived. Their perception is filtered by every previous experience they’ve had with people, pressure, fear, pain, comfort, and release.

As trainers, our responsibility isn’t simply to give the cue. It’s to understand the filter through which the horse receives it.

07/15/2026

Lope Departures

The “observationist” part if me has left me no doubt that one of the biggest problems reining riders have is executing a correct lope start.
I’ve done quite a lot of judging this year. And it very educational to watch the simple (in theory) move of lead preparation when the rider is moving basically straight towards me.
The first thing i notice is how the horse responds when asked to start movement forwards from a stand still.
The rider starts bumping both spurs to walk a little. And the horse frequently looks mad and lazy taking those first steps. Next they are angling away from me as the push the outside spur the horse looks at the spur and walks forward in a bad position. Meanwhile the rider keeps playing with the inside rein so the horse won’t do exactly what the rider is telling the horse with the outside spur. It’s a fifty-fifty shot getting the correct lead. Less if it’s the right lead because you’re going away from the gate.
If you’re lucky enough to catch the correct lead, your first step of the circle is out of position. You will have to fix something before you can start showing. We all know that missing leads is a big penalty. But did you realize misshapen, irritated attitudes kill the credit?
My program is 3 pieces:
1. Release my horse to walk
2. Sit down pickup my hand and shape with my legs.
3. Kiss,kiss,kiss until the horse lopes.

It’s easy to teach if you’re methodical and patient.
1. Release to walk- out your hand literally into the neck lean forward and cluck cluck three times before you touch with your legs. And when you use them just “tickle” them with both spurs.
If you do this from day one, every time you start walking, not just when loping, they will breathe and walk straight forward and drop their necks at the same time.
When this is easy, start working on step 2.
Pick up reins softly and touch your outside ankle towards the back as your walking. Probably your Horse will want to turn and look outside. Keep the soft pressure with your hand and at the same time rhythm with the inside leg on the girth area. Continue until the horse will walk quietly on a soft contact and maintain position for the lope. Hip and nose slightly inside.
As soon as you feel the horse breathe and give to you one step release.
Walk and few steps and repeat until the horse will just breath and take the position you want.
If the horse starts to push through my hand as I’m shaping I’ll use more pressure until they stop and back it the same position I was walking forward. And they try again.
Step 3- this is the easiest.
After step two, sit down don’t change anything and use your voice.
A normal response is the try to turn in and trot or take the wrong lope. In both instances, just easy stop them and immediately give a stern (not hard) bump with both feet and kiss again right away!
The goal is for your horse to just stay in position, lifts back take the first step and breathe starting with relaxation.

07/11/2026

Another weekend judging at the Stampede Show Graham Tx!

07/04/2026

SEQUEL TO YESTERDAYS POST ABOUT LEGS!!!
Legs doesn’t mean raking them in the belly with spurs every step!

07/03/2026

Contrary to popular opinion, horses do not drop shoulders.
Horses “do” push their ribcage left and right right near the girth.
When the rib goes right, it causes the head and the hip to turn outside.
Because the power (hip) is outside the feeling from the rider is a shoulder falling.
The normal correction is for the rider to pick up the inside rein and bend the neck and head to the inside. This will never consistently fix the problem because it all “started” with the rib cage.
If you balance the head and neck straight and correct the rib with and outside leg back and an inside leg forward your shoulder problem will disappear.