Estella Rides RJ
Estella and her sister, Matilda enjoyed a private viewing of RJ working with his trainer Rex at Thornedale yesterday morning. The girls were thrilled to watch RJ perform his many tricks and to ride the famous stallion.
Archive for the "Rex Peterson" Category
Are you a Mounted Pedestrian or a Rider?
Anyone can learn to become a competent rider if you understand the basics of horsemanship and how horses think. Horses are herd animals so it is crucial that you understand that you are the leader of the herd. We train horses to listen to our command on the ground when working with actors who have little experience riding. The audience rarely realizes that the horses on screen are being directed by a trainer off camera.
We are rehearsing a scene for a film where the main actors are riding double and the horse rears. It takes hours of training and conditioning to prepare the horse for the days of shooting. And then it takes a great deal of patience to work with the actors so they do not panic. If the rider panics the horse will not perform and a day of filming could be lost. As with everything, preparation is the key to success. Remember the old boyscout saying, “be prepared.”
Solving Your Horse’s Bad Behavior
This horse came to us with an issue bucking and misbehaving. After several weeks training you can see he is overcoming his fears with his rider and walking calmly over a tarp. He became proficient with all the obstacles on the course and gained confidence in his rider who has this to say;
“My five year old Dutch Warmblood developed a serious bucking problem, using
it to avoid working at all cost. He even began bucking while walking on a
lead line, especially if he were tacked up for work. I’m not young enough
to bounce off the hard ground anymore, and it was stressful to handle him,
forget about riding him. A friend told me about Rex, and I decided to
bring my horse to one of his local clinics. Sure enough, on the lead line,
walking around the arena, he began to buck. It was embarrassing, but at
least he wasn’t hiding the problem I wanted to fix. When Rex told me that
in his book, my horse was a “convicted felon,” and that no horse should
ever buck for any reason, I felt relief. I had secretly wondered if I was
just chicken to ride my bucking bronco, but now I knew I was right to get
help. Rex’s partner Cari suggested I bring him up for 30 days of training,
and that they would send him back to me super safe to ride. I have to
admit I was skeptical, but I was also desperate to move past this and start
seriously training this horse. Plus, Cari is a dressage rider, and I knew
she’d understand my goals. After one week, there was a noticeable change
in his behavior. After two weeks, Cari was working him in a dressage
saddle, and I began riding him as often as I could. Trail rides and
obstacle courses gave me an opportunity to push his buttons, while using
the set of tools that Rex and Cari taught me gave me-and my
horse–confidence. He came home three weeks ago, and so far, he’s been
perfect. This is the horse I thought I’d bought last June! He’s calm, a
pleasure to handle, and a joy to ride. He’ll even get “down on one” and
bow for me! I’ve entered him in his first schooling show, something I
wouldn’t have even dreamed of earlier this spring. Rex and Cari did
exactly what they said they would, and I highly recommend them.”
Linda Marciante
Robert Duvall Meets RJ/Hidalgo
We recently took a trip to horse country in Virgina to teach a clinic and were hosted by Rex’s old friend Bobby Duvall and his lovely wife Luciana. Bobby met RJ/Hidalgo, enjoying watching Rex work him through all his paces. The two famous actors have a great deal in common. Rex’s son, Ryan looks on, enjoying all of the family stories Bobby remembers from years of knowing the Peterson’s in Nebraska.
Three Year Old Rides a Three Year Old Colt
Last weekend, our youngest student, Vanessa, age 3 rode Rex’s three year old stud colt who has only 16 rides on him,he is a lovely horse who proves if you start them correctly with no mistakes, you have a super horse.
Harbor Mist-Hollywood Horse
Hollywood horse, Harbor Mist, is in the upcoming film Secretariat where Diane Lane portrays Penny Chenery, the owner of the famous red horse. The Disney film will be released in October this year, and Harbor Mist will be at the Belmont May 29-30 at the Northeast Equine Expo, come visit Harbor Mist and his trainer Rex Peterson. Rex is a master horseman who has trained horses to perform some stunts many have claimed impossible, including burying a horse alive to jump up out of the desert for a music video. Nothing is impossible but it may take hours to train and will require tremendous trust and patience.
New Jersey Horse Park Clinic
Ryan working his yearling filly with the flag…she had a very successful first day outing at the Horse Park and learned to have all her feet picked up relaxed and calmly.
RJ’s 4 Year Old Filly on Obstacle Course
Mr. T from Dreamer and Secretariat films, leads RJ’s 4 year old filly through the tarp with Fiona and Simon last weekend,
this is a fun obstacle course that gives all riders more confidence and ability to navigate anything.