I am very in tune with my horses, I know every feel they make, when they are sore, or if something is not right. I ride very quiet and light, which gives me a heads up when something goes wrong. I am very aware of my horses body position in the arena or around a barrel. I believe in a "less is more" technique that I have been using for years, it helps me know when my horse is confused, frustrated, or scared, and I can back off or come at the point I am trying to make with a different angle. I don't school my horse for every mistake they make, I try and let them figure it out, I give them a chance or two to get it right. If they are still not getting it, I will discipline them for it. I  believe giving them a chance to do it right before I discipline one lets them know whats right from wrong faster. 

Also, knowing how much pressure they can take at the moment and when to quit, or slow down is key. You need to know in your training when to stop, when to slow down and quit on a good note, or when to come at thing with a whole knew line of thought. Older horses are sometimes the worst to fix because they are so habit-ed with so many bad habits and are closed out to anything you try and do. This is where I try and get into their mind, I through new things at them and really make them listen to me. If I have one rating to much and the techniques i have use are not working, I will through a ground pole or two they have to go over  in the area they are rating just to throw them off, it usually works and I can re-train the mind. Horses are creatures of habit, so breaking that habit on older ones is quite challenging and keeps you on your toes.

        
Key No. 2: Collection, collection, collection.

I've always been told that collection is one of my strong areas. I spend a large amount of my time teaching collection to all my horses whether old or young. I want my horses really broke and listening to me and my body cues. I want them to think, not react. I spend a lot of time NOT pulling on one's face, but teaching them to come back to me using my body, legs, and hands last. I want to be able to move each body part around independently from one another. it makes it easier for patterning later. I also want one very soft in the face, because if they are soft in the face, than you have softness in the body and you can control their whole body. I want a horse to carry themselves, not me carry them, so I don't pull to get the face down and body under themselves, I push one from behind. Horses muscles are not in shape to carry themselves right off the bat, you have to work at it without over doing it, just like you doing sit-ups.  If you have to start pulling on their face, then they are stiff and you loose their butt around a barrel because nine times out of ten they are leaning on you, pushing their rib cage in, or hanging on the bit. 

I like a 4 wheel drive turn, I believe it is the fastest. I develop this turn through my different exercises of collection that I teach the horse. This is how I get a quick, snappy, explosive turn. If you don't have collection around a barrel, than your horse is strung out, hollow backed, leaning, and no hind power. My horses excel at this maneuver and have an advantage over others, this is how I get those arena record times.

I don't like to show a horse a barrel until I have some control of their face, body, and hind end. I believe it keeps one honest from the get go and they don't develop habits. If my horse has the 4 tools that I like to at least have them doing, then I start them on the pattern, I can usually have them loping the 1st day through. 

I also do a lot of pasture riding, I have access to over 40 acres land where I live that I can ride in rain or shine. I will spend my time out there teaching control to my horses, I will sprint them, then teach them to come back to me and lope slow and collected. I think this is a really good exercise for any horse at any age, if they can't do this exercise in the arena or pasture, it will be hard for them to collect up for that perfect turn. It also teaches the young horses to run, and how to be out in an open area. So many people are scared to ride out, I think it is really good for the mind of a horse. 

I do a lot of slow work around a barrel, I want a perfect practice around my turns, so I start slow and want it correct. I will sprint one between the pattern, but my barrels are nothing faster than a slow lope. I actually spend most of my time trotting around a barrel.  I do have a few speed exercises that I use on certain types of horses that can benefit from it, but not my young horses. 

I want my horses to have a lot of body flex through their rib cage, I believe if the rib cage is moving correctly, this automatically brings the head in to the circle and the hind up under creating collection. I don't want a horse over flexed, this causes them to loose their hind end, or I don't want one to stiff, causes them to drop or do a roll back style. I create this style from the perfect practice I instill in them from the get go. I always want consistent body language to my horses, this gives them confidence in me.

   

Even before Melanie could walk her mom had her on the back of a horse and shes been in love ever since. This progressed from galloping across the country side as a child on her pony to junior rodeo championships all the way to becoming a National Finals Rodeo Competitor. Melanie has experience in all forms of competitive disciplines including barrels, Reining, English, Dressage and Cutting which gives her a well rounded background. Unlike many others, she wasn't born with the luxury of a rich family to buy her way along.  She got there with hard work and determination.  Her passion is horses and she's spent the majority of her life living with them and learning them. Many competitors can just go out and buy a top quality horse and pay for everything else that goes along with it.  You don’t learn anything about horses by buying and trading until you find the perfect one that can just carry you around the barrels. You learn about horses by spending time with them and learning how to make them a winner.  

Melanie is always looking for perfection in everything she does. When it came to winning she turned to her knowledge, ability, and holistic alternatives when other competitors turned to enhancers. She believes if you study your horse, look at your ground, and size your arena, you can have multiple wins and arena records just like her.

Winning isn't always about having the fastest horse, its about knowing your horses ability, ground, arena, and your timing with the horse to get the very fastest run possible. Melanie has many wins from the rodeo's and 4D's to the futurities. She is a well rounded competitor. It is hard to find a rider that can win in every avenue of competition.

Rodeoing is hard, but you have an advantage if you enter just right, to ground conditions, and if you shy away from your competition leading you down an easier route. The 4D's and futurities are a lot harder because the playing field is more equal, which in turn makes it harder to win. Melanie has shown her ability to win in any condition given. She has also shown that mental toughness is key in barrelracing. Melanie would like to pass along her talent and success to many barrelracers who strive for excellence.

This unique aspect of her upbringing is why she became so in tuned with horses. Her ability to turn a 5000 dollar horse into a 100k horse is the way she continues to be successful today.