HORSIN' AROUND

years ago he walked away from it all and went from making almost $20,000 per month to nearly nothing. It had become clear to him that what he was doing was wrong and that he was part of the problem.

Since that time he has been doing everything possible to right the wrong, including becoming a fierce advocate to end the practice of soring and the Big Lick gait. Instead of focusing on money and blue ribbons, Carl now chooses the horse. Walking away from the only world he knew came at great personal cost, including losing friends, being estranged from family, even death threats.

Carl’s past is a critical component on who he is now, helping to make him the horseman he is today.

While Carl specializes in gaited horse breeds, he and Tammy work with all breeds and disciplines. It is their life’s mission to educate and speak out against the mistreatment and misconceptions of Tennessee Walking Horses and other gaited horse breeds. He has spent years re-educating himself in classical training, biomechanics of the horse and proper self-carriage.

And he passionately passes on that knowledge. He believes in understanding and education founded on compassion and empathy for the horse, with the horse and rider developing a strong relationship. A horse is not able to achieve the correct gait without being physically and mentally balanced and having a balanced rider to help facilitate self-carriage.

For the past 13 years, Carl and Tammy have been conducting clinics and participating in expos, conferences, fairs and other horse-related events all over the country. At their farm in Talking Rock, Georgia, they give lessons, hold clinics, rehab and train horses. Carl will be the featured gaited clinician at the Horse World Expo in Pennsylvania in early March and at Equine Affaire in Ohio in April.

Do not miss out on an opportunity to watch or participate in one of Carl’s clinics or see him at an expo or similar event. Hopefully, Carl and Tammy will be become regular visitors to Florida in the future.

If you are able to watch or participate in Carl’s clinic at Spotted Dance Ranch in Brooksville in March, it will be an amazing opportunity. FCM