The Bright Ranch began as a dream. When we started our
horse business, I thought it was my chance, as an adult,
to build my dream of how our life was supposed to be, to provide my wife
Kristin and I the opportunity to raise our daughters Katharine, Lauren, and
Jessica with plenty of room to play and animals to care for. Somewhere
along the way, I realized it wasn't about what I wanted, it was about
what others needed. Simply put, I learned that I had the ability to help
others pursue their dreams through horsemanship education. Over the years,
I found that not only did my clients become better horsepersons, they
also experienced incredible growth in their personal lives. I discovered
that horses are teachers of great truths, and working with horses forces
us to confront many issues that are relevant to our daily lives, at home
and in the business world.
As our business grew over the years, we expanded our offerings
to meet the needs of our students and the community. Beginning with Horse
Training and the Horsemanship Academy, we provided our clients with mounts
and instruction. As their abilities advanced, we added more diversity
of training. We added the weekend seminars to provide practice and exposure
to different riding disciplines. We added horse pre-purchase evaluations
to help our clients find the special horse just for them.
Next we addressed the problem of saddles. Our clients had
horses, but were having a hard time finding well-fitting saddles for their
horses. Bright Ranch Saddlery was born. We now offer high quality, handmade
saddles at reasonable prices.
Our Corporate Leadership Program is the manifestation of
another dream. Business is becoming
aware that their most valuable resource is the people that work for them.
My vision, now a reality, is that through the use of an equestrian setting,
managers can learn new and effective methods for dealing with their personnel.
Horses are great teachers. By bringing executives out into the ranch setting,
we allow them to take a good look at themselves and how they relate to
others, all the while having a good time. It is a joy to watch a group
of people who have never ridden before, be working cattle on horseback
by the end of the day. They return to work refreshed and perhaps wiser
for the experience.
Last modified: Saturday, December 10, 2005