“My love of horses started when I was a little kid,” says Rose. “I was obsessed with horses. At 12, my parents signed me up for riding lessons, and I was hooked. Shortly after that, we bought a horse. And I loved cowboy movies! I’ve worked with some fantastic cowboys and am deeply impressed with their grittiness and commitment to the animals in their care. When it comes to the animal, cowboys don’t quit until the job is done . . . I admire their courage.”  

And although he’s the first to admit he’s not a true cowboy, Rose still “loves the idea of being a cowboy.” His deep understanding of horses and their behavior allows him to help horses and their owners to truly connect, demonstrate mutual respect, and build strong partnerships. Rose’s skills in colt starting, problem-solving difficult behaviors, and training horses in ranch versatility have bolstered his resumé.   

Becoming a Horseman

Rose began working as a professional horse trainer in 2005. He quickly recognized the connection between having a successful horse trainer/clinician career and understanding what it takes to be a true horseman. He studied with world-class instructors, including Pat Parelli and Doug Jordan. Whether presenting at a small clinic or entertaining huge audiences at Equine Affaire or Road to the Horse, his engaging personality and passion for teaching shines through. Rose has a comprehensive training program based from his home in Wisconsin and an impressive following on his YouTube channel @ryanrosehorsemanship.  

Rose finds immense satisfaction in teaching the fundamentals of horsemanship. “I started as a horse trainer, but I soon realized that I needed to educate the owners as well so they could reproduce the results I was achieving.”   

Explaining the nuances between being a horseman and a horse trainer, Rose says, “I think they are separate skills—but there is value in both. A horseman focuses on giving the horse a really good deal—it’s more about the horse, helping him feel more comfortable. When I think of a horse trainer, they may feel pressure to provide a result for the owner. Trainers are very disciplined—in a good way—regularly working the horse, getting them conditioned and prepared for a show, but sometimes the horse can get sacrificed a little bit in that process.” 

Rose believes that being able to intertwine these skillsets can make a difference.

“I think there is value in being a good trainer, in being a good horseman, and in being a good cowboy,” Rose says. “You need to add each of those skills at different times.” 

Determining where to apply these skills requires a process of observation.

“One of the first principles of horsemanship that I follow is that I work with a horse at where they are,” says Rose. “Is the horse scared of people? Learned to dominate people? Is he spoiled? Or highly trained but done in a way that the horse felt forced through it?” Rose takes time to observe the horse and owner to see the level of connection, trust, and confidence the horse has for the person.   

To understand the horse fully, Rose stresses this process might take hours, days, or weeks. He watches for any signs that the horse is uncomfortable. “They give subtle tells—with their head, neck, ears, eyes, mouth, muscle tension, what direction they are facing . . . It’s all signals as to where the horse is at. There’s also an intuitive feel to it. It’s like if I’m having a bad day, I could probably fool you and hide it, but I couldn’t fool my wife. She would know. You can develop that with a horse and just feel something is bothering them.”    

Rose’s approach to working with a reactive or spooky horse plays out in his YouTube videos. “Both humans and horses must have levels of exposure to a challenging situation in order to overcome it,” says Rose. “So it starts with the person deciding they want to make a change. When someone shows up at my clinic, I try to figure out if they are ready to face their fear or simply want an enjoyable weekend with their horse. If they are open to change, my job is to find out where they’re at—and then challenge them out of their comfort zone safely. Horses are dangerous, so I carefully read the horse and person. I try to understand why the person is afraid. Is their fear valid? Is their horse dangerous? Is the person on the verge of getting hurt? Or, did they have a bad experience in the past and are bringing that into the present?

“If that’s the case, I’m going to coach them, challenging them through exposure to whatever is causing the fear—riding down a steep hill, cantering, riding bareback, or just being on a loose rein. I’ve seen unbelievable changes in people when you put them in a difficult situation and help them work through it—they become empowered. Their confidence level on the other side is just through the roof. I think it’s a more meaningful approach versus just visualizing it . . . A level of toughness and confidence comes through having to actually do it.”  

Teaming Up As Husband and Wife

In addition to focusing on the mental aspects, Rose helps riders grasp how vital correct body position is to progress and the well-being of your horse. “You could ride lameness into a horse with incorrect body position,” says Rose. Although not an expert in the field of rider biomechanics, he is married to one—his wife, Emily Rose, is a Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner at Reaching Strides Equine Rehabilitation and an integral part of the Rose Horsemanship Center team.

“I make sure the horse is safe, but if the rider is struggling to sit the canter or feeling pain while trotting, Emily and I work together to get that sorted out for the rider and horse’s sake,” says Rose.  

Emily actively competes in dressage and is Rose’s business partner. “One of the things I enjoy most about working with my wife is our ability to help people—whether horse health issues or rider biomechanics. I can troubleshoot issues with Emily. It’s all in-house; I don’t have to outsource for that expertise. Emily is such a high-level professional, I have one hundred percent trust in what she recommends. And if Emily sees a horse for a physical issue and it turns out to be a behavioral issue, she can refer to me, and I can quickly step in to help. The response time is so much quicker because we are working together.”  

For Ryan and Emily Rose, it’s all about creating lasting connections between horses and the people who love them.  

Learn more about Ryan and Emily Rose and view upcoming clinics and events at  rosehorsemanship.com.  

This article about Ryan Rose is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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But in 2024, Maynard was in for a surprise.

“It was the most stressful thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Maynard says.

As a first-time competitor, he competed in—and won—2024 Road to the Horse, the World Championship of Colt Starting. His partner was an American Quarter Horse gelding named TomCatt.

“There were moments when I didn’t know if I would get through it. I learned a lot about myself and what I can handle,” Maynard says.

Although feeling the crushing weight of stress, Maynard realized it would be detrimental to pass it on to TomCatt.

“I had things I wanted to accomplish and goals, but I didn’t let my horse feel that. I had to be very present in the moment and process-oriented so that I could always go at the speed he needed to go,” Maynard says. “It made me think about the importance of the process and not getting caught up in the goals. You can have goals, but you have to leave them behind once you are working with the horse.”

And Maynard is ready to do it all over again—with a new colt and up against new competitors at the 2025 Road to the Horse, which will take place March 27-30, 2025 in Lexington, Ky.

Growing Up With Horses

Maynard’s love of horses started early and was nurtured by his father, Rick, a Grand Prix show jumper, and his mother, Jennifer, a Grand Prix dressage rider and judge.

“My parents both rode,” Maynard says. “It was instilled in us at a young age what a privilege it was to have horses in our lives. When I was young, what I loved most was the sport—mounted games, show jumping, and eventing. But I never thought I would do it as a career. The turning point was in my mid-twenties. I discovered the world of horsemanship and horse psychology. That was when I started to think of it as a mental thing and not just physical.”

Maynard still enjoyed the excitement of jumping, but realized that delving into the psychology of horses could “become something I could do for the rest of my life. It’s like a puzzle you’re trying to work on and get better.”

Maynard spent years as a working student, learning from Olympians, prominent equestrians, and trainers. He observed what is needed to transform a good trainer into a great trainer, particularly the ability to be an effective, compassionate communicator.

“I think you have to be a good person to be a good trainer,” Maynard says. “Some people are good with horses, but you see them with people, and they are rude. It matters how you interact with people. If a person lacks emotional balance and maturity, I don’t think they have that inner thing that will eventually make them a great horse person or trainer.”

Understanding Horses

Everyone has a different take on what natural horsemanship is.

“Depending on who I’m talking to, I might say natural horsemanship, or horse psychology, or groundwork. It’s how you interact with the horse. For me, that involves trying to work with the horse in a way that is natural for the horse, how they learn and play… Trying to bring out behaviors that a horse does naturally in the wild,” Maynard says.

When it comes to groundwork, Maynard explains, “I do groundwork with every horse I work with, and most of what I do with horses is working on myself. But everyone has a different relationship with their horse. Some want to be a mentor and teacher, a passive leader or a dominant leader; others look for a codependent relationship with their horse. While I think a few of those ways might be unhealthy, I think a lot of those could be good. Depending on which of those things you are looking for, groundwork may not be essential in every situation, but it can help you learn more about yourself and your goals. We all need a little less guilt, a little less judgment, and a little more gratitude.”

Maynard is often asked to help a “spooky” horse.

“Spooky and anxious are quite different things when you think about the horse,” Maynard says. “Spooky can be sharp, in the moment, and then it ends. Rather than acute, an anxious horse is more of a chronic thing. A chronically anxious horse can turn into a physical thing. Horses have evolved to deal quite well with a spook or mild spurt of adversity but do not do well with chronic stress, so I look at the whole horse.

“I think the number one thing that causes a horse stress is confusion. In training, when you have a flag or a stick, it’s not usually one of those items in isolation that causes the horse stress; it’s the not understanding what those things mean. Communicate with your horse. When your horse does something, like get on a trailer or do liberty, see that the horse has the look of understanding in their eye and not that they are just moving around out of stress. There are various ways to get there. Encourage curiosity—curiosity is a great bridge to confidence. Every horse is curious about things. Allow, encourage, and direct that curiosity, and the horse will get less and less spooky. If your horse is scared of the dark corner of the indoor arena, put some cookies on a barrel over there, and every once in a while, give your horse a break and go over and give him a cookie off the barrel. Over time, he will be more curious, relaxed, and associate good things with what he previously spooked at.”

How Tik and Sinead Maynard Work as a Team

Since 2008, Maynard has focused on training horses full-time. In 2016, he and his wife, Sinead—a highly respected eventing rider—merged their equine businesses into Copperline Equestrian in Citra, Fla., and together they are raising their two young children.

Maynard explains what he appreciates most about working with his wife as a partner in a multi-faceted horse business.

“When it comes to the emotional, financial, and time output, if you don’t have a spouse that gets it, that can be stressful to a marriage,” Maynard says. “You need someone who understands that you might have to call off a vacation because you have to go to a horse show. We are both really supportive of each other’s careers. At the end of the day, you can talk about the stuff you’re going through with a horse, bounce ideas off of each other. Sometimes we ride or do demos with each other’s horses; my weaknesses might be my wife’s strengths or vice versa, so it works well for us.

And when I’m at home with my wife and 2-year-old and 6-year-old, I see the need to be fully immersed in the present. If I’m distracted by my phone, then I’m not paying attention to them; I need to be present.”

Learn from Tik Maynard

A gifted communicator, Maynard loves sharing his deep understanding of horses. He is an online instructor for The Horseman’s University and a NOËLLE FLOYD Equestrian Masterclass Instructor. He is the author of the bestselling memoir In the Middle Are the Horseman (published by Trafalgar Square Books) and the highly-anticipated follow-up Starting in the Middle (coming March 2025).

This article about Tik Maynard is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Chris Irwin really gets horses.

Watch him at work—communicating with a horse—and you can see why Ireland’s Equestrian magazine boldly stated, “Chris Irwin is more horse than human.” As a world-renowned horseman, professional trainer, riding coach, and author of the international best-selling books Horses Don’t Lie and Dancing With Your Dark Horse, Chris Irwin artfully unravels the complex relationship between horses and humans. And attendees at his U.S. or European clinics leave with a renewed desire to build a more meaningful connection with their own horses.

Finding a Real Home Through Horses

Irwin didn’t grow up enveloped by the love of family and horses.

“I dropped out of school and left home at 16,” says Irwin. “It was an extremely violent, dysfunctional family and I ran away to survive.”

He played guitar and hitchhiked from Canada to North America, eventually landing in Seattle, Wash. Around the age of 20, he was homeless and living off tips tossed in his guitar case. He heard the racetrack was hiring and decided to check it out.

“As soon as I walked around to the barns, smelled the horses, heard the horses, I literally froze and every cell in my body was tingling,” Irwin recalls. “I knew for the first time in my life that I was home.”

At the end of his first day, the trainer told him he was a natural, gave him a full-time job and a place to stay—a cot in a stall—and Irwin worked his way up from mucking stalls to grooming horses.

Later, he worked at dude ranches and enjoyed success in training wild Mustangs. After ten years, Irwin needed a change.

“I was struggling to earn a living, so I took a six-month break and went back to Canada to ski and do some soul-searching,” says Irwin. “And at the end of winter, I so missed being with the horses. The horses were my medicine, and I needed to get back to work with them.”

He took his passion for horses to the next level, transitioning to trainer-for-hire. After moving to Nevada, he had a long waiting list within six months—”starting young horses, problem-solving with difficult horses.” Veterinarians and farriers were amazed at how much gentler the horses were that Irwin worked with.

At 37, Irwin moved back to Canada—now as a family with his wife and child—and got right to work, reinventing himself as an author, becoming an in-demand clinician, and making videos.

“I wrote Horses Don’t Lie with a good friend,” says Irwin. “By 2000, Horses Don’t Lie was being published in multiple languages and I was getting called to Europe and North America. I was very surprised with how well the book resonated with people because nobody really said anything like that at the time. I wrote a book talking about how I’m finding my psycho-spiritual healing through working with horses. It didn’t have any practical training tips. It was one of the first books that started leading North American horse culture in the direction of working with horses for personal development. I thought there was a good chance I would become a laughingstock.”

He was wrong; people appreciated his authentic voice deciphering natural horsemanship and our connection to horses.

Helping Horses to Rebuild Confidence

Irwin travels to clinics worldwide, helping horses regain courage and confidence, profoundly impacting their overall well-being—and each horse has a story.

“There’s a horse I work with now in the Netherlands who was rescued as a bull-fighting horse from Spain,” says Irwin. “He had brutal training, had been gored by a bull in a fight, and was full of PTSD. I’d been looking at him, knew trauma was in him, and I knew how to help him get it out, how to release it. I started working with him last year. And what a breakthrough! He is very near and dear to my heart—he shows a depth of appreciation for the healing that he has gone through.

Horses often bring me to tears… I’ve wept in public because of what’s coming out of the horse… There’s much more depth in learning what it takes to help horses who have already decided that human beings are evil and don’t want anything to do with us. That’s where my focus is.”

Chris Irwin as the Empathetic Shepherd

Irwin wants horses to see us as empathetic shepherds and thus want to be in our presence.

“The premise of everything in my work with horses is that the frame of their body affects the frame of mind. It’s physiology,” says Irwin. “Their body goes into different shapes, different frames… A hollow-backed horse with his back collapsed and his neck up high is producing adrenaline. And enough adrenaline on a consistent basis leaves the body full of cortisol.”

Irwin explains, “The goal is to use groundwork and riding where you use your body to shape a horse’s body so that its internal chemistry produces oxytocin and endorphins, not adrenaline. That’s why it’s feasible for a horse to walk away from the feed and other horses and meet you at the gate, because he knows this is going to feel good. When I ride a horse, it’s like giving them a day at the spa. My seat is a chiropractor. My legs are massage therapists. My contact is like osteopathy. Horses love it when they feel better with you than without you. That’s how they know you’re the shepherd.”

Horses Test Your Awareness Through Body Language

Purposeful groundwork with a physical connection can be complex; some riders mistakenly underestimate its value.

“Groundwork is competing in body language with the horse—to earn respect, trust, and acceptance of your leadership,” says Irwin. “When you walk in to meet a horse you’ve never met before, it doesn’t automatically respect you. Even the nicest horses in the world— if you are a stranger—will test you very subtly with body language.”

Your body language can cause a horse to feel safe with you, allowing them to relax and view you as the shepherd.

“The horse knows if you have profound situational awareness,” Irwin explains. “He’s tested you. And your response when challenged makes them feel good.”

Tapping Into Chris Irwin’s Insights

Irwin explains his riding approach as “physio from the saddle—helping the horse to relax in his body. The softer and more supple we can get the horse in their bodies, the more relaxed they will become in their minds.”

Eager to share his experience, Irwin created the series of hugely popular online courses, Mind Your Horse and the Irwin Insights: Horse Sense Redefined Skills Certificates and Masters Certification courses.

“The courses are a combination of evolved equestrian insights, cutting-edge production quality, and use of graphics and illustrations as learning aids,” says Irwin. “And I have a completely different approach—due to the depth of minutia of awareness.”

Citing an example, Irwin says, “The single greatest, unspoken dysfunction in the horse world is defining inside and outside as direction instead of flexion. And when you ride a horse according to flexion instead of direction, it melts. It gets so soft. And whether it’s five or fifteen minutes later, now you are riding straight down the long side and you are getting true bends in the corners because you warmed up working with the horse and not against it.”

Spoken like a true shepherd.

To learn more about Chris Irwin, horsemanship, and clinics visit chrisirwin.com and Ray of Light Farm, a nonprofit animal rescue center and riding school in East Haddam, Conn., where he serves as a clinic director.

This article about Chris Irwin is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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