Ben Longwell - Combination Turn

Details the hindquarter yield (turn on forehand) and the forequarter yield (turn on hindquarter) individually. Then building into the combination of these two turns as a communications exercise for both the physical and mental development of your horse. A great tool to have handy for a horse that is more forward than you are wanting. Increases maneuverability for many practical applications.

Ben grew up riding horses and working cattle on the Western Slope of Colorado. After finishing school, he spent much of his time doing day work for ranches & outfits in the area, learning from the skills and experience of the ranchers. He also spent a year working as assistant trainer at a Quarter Horse breeder in Colorado learning the basics of colt starting and authentic horsemanship.

Having spent much of the next six years in the colt starting & horse training business, his knowledge and experience continued to expand. During this time Ben worked on a 300,000 acre cattle & horse ranch in Wyoming, where he was also involved in conducting horsemanship clinics and demonstrations.

Ben has worked with some great horsemen in the West, adding to a lifetime of practical equine experience. He is influenced from the methods of such horseman as Tom & Bill Dorrance, Ray Hunt, Richard Caldwell, Martin Black, Buck Brannaman, Dave Weaver and Jeff Sanders.

Ben and his wife Natalie moved to her native country of New Zealand and took the opportunity to build a training and clinic business. Since being in New Zealand, Ben has been privileged to be a returning Clinician at Equidays (NZ's national horse expo) six different years giving well-received clinics ranging from Colt Starting and Vaquero Horsemanship to Problem Solving and Green Horse Clinics.

In 2014 Ben was invited to participate in New Zealand's first Kaimanawa Stallion Challenge - where trainers were randomly given a Kaimanawa Stallion straight from the wild and competed in 2 competitions at Equidays and Horse of the Year.

In addition to colt starting and problem solving at home, Ben teaches various Clinics around the country and participants love his knowledgeable and quiet approach to teaching them. Where leaving egos behind and focusing on the horse results in true progress and a great learning environment.