Cari Swanson

Learn to Put Your Horse’s Head Down for Easy Bridling and Handling

This uniquely designed tool, the Sugar String will help you teach your horse to put his head down whenever and where ever you ask him to.  Designed by Rex Peterson as an easy and humane way to teach a horse to drop his head and open his mouth for effortless bridling and clipping around the head.  Taken to an extreme, the Sugar String can help teach your horse to walk next to you with his nose at your ankles.  In the movie Dreamer, the horse had to walk next to Dakota Fanning, the kid and safely keep his distance.  He also learned to carry her backpack and nudge her gently along.  Everyone wants a well mannered horse, and this tool is ideal to train your horse to drop his head and become submissive to you on command.  Check it out on the following web site!

Swanson Peterson Productions

Horse Wisdom Training DVD’s

Rex introduces Mr. T, a famous Hollywood horse to a meeting of five 4-H Clubs in Johnsonville, Texas.

Watching Rex work with horses is magic. Imagine watching Baryshnikov dance, Beethoven compose, Picasso paint, or Fitzgerald write, you are watching genius at work. Everything looks effortless and easy when in fact his technique is a highly systematic methodology tuned throughout years of working with master teachers and thousands of horses. One of his most unusual qualities is his ability to continue learning from everyone and every horse. An open mind willing to analyze and dissect each situation, and the ability to acknowledge that he does not have the answer, he asks for the solution from the horse and it is offered. Listening allows him to solve the problem.

There are common threads woven throughout his technique of patience, persistence, discipline, diligence. These qualities are essential to successful training and should be learned from the very beginning.  You can learn from Rex Peterson Horse Wisdom Training DVD’s now available for purchase.

Rex generously visits 4-H Clubs and Pony Clubs teaching children how to correctly train their horses.
Contact Cari if you are interested in setting up a clinic with Rex.

RJ Can Jump!

Rex Peterson demonstrates his skills training RJ to free jump a course.

It’s time for some holiday shopping at Windrock Farm

It’s high season for Christmas and holiday shopping. During this holiday season Windrock Farm is offering the first three of Rex Peterson’s Horse Wisdom training videos. Through Christmas we’re offering a 20% discount if you buy two full sets of the video series—or more. Also, we are offering free shipping on all products through Christmas–unless you need your shipping expedited.

Visit www.swansonpetersonproductions.com to buy yours today. You can also place an order by calling Cari at 914.456.3155.

If you want to add a high quality burlap bag with RJ’s hoof print, call Cari to let her know.

Jim Breitinger, Windrock West–Arizona and California

A final note from the airport

The plane leaves shortly. I am beginning the journey home to the Sonoran Desert.

I had the priveledge of working with Rex, Cari and two horses today. One of the horses demonstrated a remarkable transformation under the capable tuteladge of Mr. Peterson. The large gelding has been girthy and recently he’s taken to occassionally bucking. This is nerve wracking on any horse, but especially so 17-plus hands up. There was no bucking today–Rex would have none of that. It is amazing to watch this man work his mastery over our equine friends.

Cheers to everyone in NY and vicinity . . . we’re boarding.

Regards,

Jim

2008 Equine Affaire drawing to a close

Rex and RJ just finished their final demonstration to a pleased crowd. We have three hours remaining at this year’s Equine Affaire–an event that shouldn’t be missed for horse lovers.

The thing that stands out the most from our time here is the number of devoted fans of RJ because of the film “Hidalgo.” This stallion is truly a star. Men and women alike see him and melt. Stories abound of how people have seen the movie over and over and over. The fans know that more than one horse played Hidalgo and they know which horse Viggo Mortensen (the human star of the movie) bought. Rex spoke about why he kept RJ and how Cari pried RJ away from him, at least partly. It’s RJ’s larger than life personality that won Rex’s and Cari’s hearts as well the hearts of millions of devoted fans.

East meets West

When Cari met Rex Peterson in 2005 she had no idea what she was in for. Last night at the Equine Affaire in West Springfield, Massachusetts, an artistic version of their relationship played out. Two riders captivated the crowd at the Eastern States Expo Coliseum with a performance titled “East meets West.”

A top dressage rider (representing Cari) took to the arena with the theme from “Chariots of Fire” playing. A Grand Prix dressage performance began . . . then the spotlight switched to rider number two. A cowboy galloped in to the song “Dueling Banjos.” The contrast between the controlled, refined, blue-blooded dressage performance, and the raucous high energy cowboy on his Quarter Horse couldn’t have been greater. Imagine Rex Peterson.

Back and forth it went, world class dressage with the grandiose, inspiring, and rareified music, and then world class Western riding to the down and dirty music from “Deliverance.” It was a duel of cultures, worlds apart, yet so very complimentary.

Last night’s act just might inspire Cari and Rex to do one of their own riding RJ and Bond. The performers last night were great, but our favorite resident of Dutchess County and the legendary horseman from southern California could do even better.

We’re enjoying our time at the Equine Affaire. We hope to see you but if you can’t make it, keep checking here for updates. Buy the first three in the Rex Peterson training video series today by clicking here.

Cari’s brother Jim Breitinger is an Arizona-based writer.

Hello from the Equine Affaire

Rex greets his fans today at the Equine Affaire in West Springfield, Mass. Photo by Jim Breitinger.

Final preparations

Today is a busy day at Windrock Farm as we make final preparations for the Equine Affaire in West Springfield, Massachusetts and Rex’s arrival.

We are excited to launch the initial three videos in the new series–Rex Peterson’s Horse Wisdom: One Step Makes a Thousand.

Please send an email to any and all friends who may be going to the Equine Affaire and tell them to be sure and see Rex and RJ in action and stop by our booth. They can email us at cari@cariswanson.com or call me at 928.300.8010.

Cari’s brother Jim Breitinger is helping out during the Equine Affaire. He is an Arizona-based writer.

When you have a problem with your horse(s), who are you going to call?

The film industry—aka Hollywood—is the home of the great, and sometimes not so great, story tellers of our times. Every day on the set represents a lot of money spent in an effort to capture some movie magic.

For that reason, working with animals on films is a risky, tricky, and increasingly high stakes business. Directors and producers don’t need to mess around with animals who can’t do their job. They have too much at stake. Rex Peterson has become the gold standard when it comes to horses in film. When Julia Roberts was portrayed galloping through the woods away from one of her weddings in “Runaway Bride,” she rode one of Rex’s horses (that is actually Julia on the horse). See Cari’s blog for many other examples of Rex’s film work, including of course the filming of “Hidalgo” with our own RJ, the star horse of that film.

Have you ever had a problem with your horse that you didn’t know how to handle? If you’ve ever had a horse we know the answer to that question and we are here with many new solutions—most of which are in fact very old and are passed down from generations that preceded ours.

This week and weekend in Massachusetts you will have the opportunity to meet the legendary Rex Peterson in the flesh at the Equine Affaire. Not only that, Swanson Peterson Productions is releasing a new series of training videos available on DVD. More details on that this week.

We look forward to seeing you at the Equine Affaire.

Jim Breitinger is an Arizona-based writer.