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The Cowboy Perspective an exploration of grit, servant leadership, and business philosophy with high performers!Author: The Cowboy Perspective
Welcome to a place where we will talk all things Natural and Organic meat business, Ranching, American Quarter Horses, Family, and God! Pull up a seat grab your favorite beverage and lets chew the fat! How to build a team? What is a Cowboy? How to survive change? Why do entrepreneurs win? What is the truth about farming and ranching? Visit www.thecowboyperspective.com for transcriptions and more! Language: en Genres: Business, Education, Marketing, Self-Improvement Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Reed Sykes on Learning Horsemanship, Patience, and the Pressure of Training in Public
Wednesday, 18 March, 2026
Neil welcomes Reed Sykes with co-host Kyle Johnson to The Cowboy Perspective for a conversation about horsemanship and animal training, focusing on building confidence rather than stripping it away. Reed shares his background growing up in Midland with a ranch near San Angelo, graduating from Sam Houston State after attending several universities, working in the oil field, then leaving in 2015 to train horses and dogs for the public despite initially feeling unprepared. He avoids labels like "cowboy" or "buckaroo," emphasizing daily improvement and teaching horses to "try," rewarding small efforts even when imperfect. The discussion covers patience as a learned skill, how experience changes expectations, pressure on trainers working under deadlines and public scrutiny, and how social media acts as a curated "commercial" that can both connect people and create problems. They describe how social media is a "commercial," how honest bluntness can attract better clients, and how public scrutiny and deadlines affect trainers. Kyle and Reed compare cowboy and dressage/eventing perspectives, discuss being humbled by new environments, and argue that excessive groundwork can be a disservice if it replaces riding. Reed explains "school halt," its classical dressage roots, its use for strengthening and demonstrating true engagement, and why he avoids making it a default response. Topics 01:49 Reed's Background Story 02:57 Leaving Oilfield for Horses 05:27 What Kind of Horseman 07:35 Reward the Small Try 10:31 Teaching Movement and Feel 13:24 Learning Patience Over Time 16:25 Clients Pressure and Public Eye 23:25 How Reed and Kyle Met 24:49 Social Media as a Highlight Reel 29:40 Dressage Exposes Weaknesses 33:50 Mirrors and Learning Feel 36:20 Knowing Terms vs Getting It Done 37:30 Green vs Polished Horses 38:55 Kids and Real World Prep 40:56 Anxiety Vessel Concept 43:02 Wickenburg Culture Shock 47:56 Expectations and Rolling Punches 50:27 Why Colts Buck First Ride 52:52 What Kind of Trainer 53:28 Eventing Explained 56:00 Breeds and No Ribbons 01:00:19 Competing to Stay Humble 01:03:16 Groundwork vs Getting On 01:07:08 When Groundwork Matters 01:08:23 Origins of School Halt 01:09:29 From Halt to Airs 01:11:06 Why Train It 01:12:08 Proving True Collection 01:16:44 Deep Dive Into Dressage 01:19:32 Warhorse Mindset 01:22:59 Feel and Athleticism 01:26:00 Finding the Right Mentors 01:27:05 Books and Translation 01:31:01 Share the Knowledge 01:35:33 Wrapping Up and Next Steps
