A few words from our guests…

You guys are just OUTSTANDING.  My experience here has been nothing but fantastic! All the staff  have been super friendly, open and genuine in all the things they do.

Horses for me have always been my “dream” job but I never had an opportunity to see where it could take me.  This place is such an awesome environment to learn HOW to learn.  The staff and all the interns have such a productive and positive way of teaching you, more showing you, what horsemanship can really be.

I have loved every moment that I got here, and hope to stay again sometime in the future.

Wow, what a week it has been.  I sit here on a Friday afternoon, after a morning of riding and my brain feels full and my legs are sore, but I regret that the end of the week is here.  The food, accommodations, and staff have all been spectacular.  But more than that, the horses and the horsemanship [which] I’ve had the opportunity to learn from and about, has been something that has far exceeded my expectations.  Horses have been my passion for as long as I can remember and I have had the luxury of being able to ride many horses and many styles of horsemanship over the years.  My absolute favorite time is when I am alone with a horse.  When I am able and ‘tuned’ into his teachings.  That is always when I had he biggest ‘light bulb’ moments.

Here at McGinnis Meadows Ranch, I felt completely at home.  The staff dedication towards not only bettering the horses but also towards bettering themselves and remaining a student to the horse is something that will draw me back to McGinnis Meadows hopefully many more times in the future.

A huge thank you to everyone for the fabulous week!

On my third trip to McGinnis Meadows I have to say it gets better each time.  The lodge and the cabins make me feel comfortable and right at home.  The great food and casual atmosphere always makes me feel relaxed and ready for an amazing week of horsemanship on incredibly well trained horses.  That you will find nowhere else.  The ranches approach to horsemanship offers the best place to learn and grow.  The riding skills I can take back home to my own horse.  Many thanks MMR, I look forward to my next visit!

I came to McGinnis Meadows expecting an elegant and beautiful show of horsemanship… and boy was I BLOWN AWAY.  Within the first few hours I was learning what a true soft feel was and by day two I was executing advanced maneuvers such as cow turns, crossovers, and leg yields.  On the last day, every single person in that arena was riding their horse only using leg and seat: no reins at all. I am amazed at the quality of horses and teaching that I experienced this week.  I couldn’t be happier.

Where do I begin to explain the life changing experience I had this week during winter horsemanship.  Some of the most important lessons I learned this week revolved around my horses and their expressions.  I learned that keeping your horse in a positive learning frame of mind is key to everything you do with them.  I also learned that I need to slow down, focus and really listen to what my horse is telling me.

As a frequent guest at McGinnis – I continue to be thankful and grateful for all the knowledge that the staff is willing to impart and share.  The help they give me is invaluable to keep me progressing on my horsemanship journey.  As always, the rest of the staff was always friendly and helpful.

With Gratitude – Lela

Our trip to McGinnis Meadows has been absolutely incredible.  Nothing compares to the staff, the horses, or the beauty of the ranch itself.  Before I came to the ranch I thought I cared about my horses when I rode them.  But, Shayne and Des take the horses’ well being to a whole other level.  My biggest take-away from the week of horsemanship is, “make sure that your horse knows that you’re all about him, and he will make sure that it’s all about both of you.”

Riding is a huge part of my life, so this week’s impact has changed the way I see everything.  Shayne truly teaches that the well being of the horse, and the partnership that comes with that, is what will make you successful in the saddle.  This has been the most rewarding and challenging vacation I’ve ever been on!