Renowned horse trainer teaching at Horse Expo

Your horse sees dead people. Who you gonna’ call? Brandi Lyons.

You ride white-knuckled. Who you gonna’ call? Brandi Lyons.

The daughter of John Lyons, one of the nation’s top natural horsemanship trainers, is carrying on in her father’s tradition of teaching riders of all levels and disciplines how to communicate better and build a true partnership with their horses. She runs her No Horsemanship Limits clinic out of her compound in Arizona, and teaches throughout the United States.

Teaching riders how to overcome their fear is one of her favorite clinic topics and one that she will be exploring in depth at the 2017 Washington State Horse Expo, at the Clark County Event Center March 3-5.

Following Lyons’ training program is easy and is designed to get you in the saddle quickly and safely.

“I was born to lope, not walk,” said Lyons. “In my program we only spend time on groundwork that we need to in order to be safe. Then we are up in the saddle, applying the same principles we learned on the ground to our riding. Groundwork is an important foundation, but it is not our goal. Riding and having fun while doing so is the end goal.”

Lyons said many people fear riding a horse.

“Everywhere I go I am asked to help people overcome their fear of riding,” she said. “I believe it is because as we get older we are wiser and know that we are breakable. I also believe it is because we have become better educated on horses and horsemanship. And I know from personal experience, just how devastating riding with fear can be.”

Lyons’ first horseback ride was on a cattle drive when she was three days old. Growing up with a father who is a nationally ranked horse trainer and clinician, being on a horse came as natural as breathing to her. That is, until 15 years ago when a bad accident on a horse changed everything.

“I skipped some very important groundwork steps and climbed up on a horse that wasn’t ready,” she said “I was 22 years old. The accident broke my back and several other bones. While I was in the hospital it was discovered I was pregnant. I could not start healing and rehabbing until after my baby was born. God took really good care of me and my little girl.”

If you stop by Lyons’ booth at the Expo you might get a chance to meet this miracle baby — all grown up and working the booth for her mother.

“When I was ready to start riding again, I found I was riding with fear. So yes, I do understand what other riders are feeling,” said Lyons.

She needed to find a way past her fear. Not only is riding, training and teaching clinics who she is it is how she makes her living. More importantly, according to Lyons “Riding is supposed to be fun.”

To put the fun back in her riding she took control.

“To truly feel safe you have to know you can control your horse,” she said. “I mean really control them, whether going forward, backward, right, left, up, down and control their speed in each of these directions. You also need to be able to individually control each of their major body parts; head, neck, shoulders and hips. Once you know you have this control, you let go of your fear and riding becomes fun again.”

People are not the only ones who can be afraid in the partnership. Horses, too, can be afraid. The same exercises that give control to the riders and helps ease their fear, also helps horses overcome their fears and insecurities. When a strong, confident rider is giving clear direction and leadership, a horse will be more confident and less fearful.

“Riding should be fun for both the horse and rider,” said Lyons. “It should be a happy time. I tell my students to use positive reinforcement and leave their stress, anger and anxiety at the barn door. Quit worrying and just have fun and your horse will too.”

Having a sense of humor is also important she said.

“If you can laugh about life, it will carry over into your riding and training time,” Lyons said.

Lyons tells her students it is important to find the right horse. Just like people, horses have different personalities. Not every horse and rider make a good match.

“It is not a bad thing to let a horse that is not a good match for you go,” she said. “If you let them go, they can find their perfect fit with someone else.”

Lyons is bringing Cooper, a 12-year-old quarter horse gelding she calls “the best friend I ever had,” and her “baby” Jag, a 4-year-old quarter horse.

“Copper is just wicked cool,” Lyons said. “He is one of the most amazing horses I have ever been blessed to ride. He will be my right hand at the Expo and will help me to help others. I am proud of him and love him to the moon and back. I wish for all of you, at some point in your life, you get to experience the same relationship with your horse as I have with Copper.”

She calls Jag her “second miracle child,” and invites all to come to her booth at the Expo to hear Jag’s story.

“He is such a fun horse — he is the ‘friend’ in the group that is always playing pranks and getting into trouble,” said Lyons. “What I want to do with my horse is build trust and build our relationship. I have a great connection with Copper, but it is my connection. It looks like he loves me, but that is because from his perspective, I hold up my end of the relationship. I feed him, blanket him ... take care of him.”

Lyons said she focuses on her side of the partnership, and describes how to build a friendship circle with your horse.

“It is hard to like a horse that is biting you, misbehaving or acting out,” she said. “A well-behaved horse is easy to like. If we take the time to teach them how we want them to behave, then it will be easier for us to like them. When we like them, we treat them better. When we treat them better, they like us.”

It’s helping people build this circle that Lyons strives to accomplish.

“I love helping horse and their riders learn to communicate,” she said. “There is often an ‘aha’ moment, where you see the light bulb come on for someone. I love those moments.”