Due to time constraints, Equus Masters will not be held at the 2021 Expo We look forward to this event returning in 2022.

Western States Horse Expo is proud to present an event that honors the horse, not just the trainer. It’s no longer about the cowboy who stands in the saddle, cracking a whip overhead on a horse that’s exhausted and shut down.

Nope. Equus Masters is all about the horse.

A featured event this year, this unique experience will showcase starting a young horse with care and consideration, not just brute force and overwhelming the horse’s mind. The goal is to build a solid foundation and partnership by using kindness and direction that will be ingrained in the horse for the rest of his life. Watch as four top trainers test their own unique styles of horsemanship, feel, caring, observational powers and gentleness as they start untrained horses right before your eyes.  Is this a pedal-to-the-metal competition? No. It’s a learning event for the horse — and for you.

Where do these horses come from?  You might be surprised. It’s not some fancy Quarter Horse ranch, that’s for sure. The geldings the trainers can select on Thursday at the Expo are horses captured by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). These halter-gentled horses are currently housed at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center (R3C) in Elk Grove, California, where there is an active program to saddle train and adopt out mustangs. Some of the adopted horses from this program have gone on to compete in Endurance, trail trials, and Western Dressage, and many are people’s recreational riding animals.

Parelli says of the Equus Masters event, “I hope this will give the audience food for thought as they listen to the Mentors’ points of view and perspectives. Being a Mentor was a great honor that holds with it great responsibility. I need to make sure that when I’m offering an observation, people will understand what quality horsemanship should be and what it looks like. I’m really pleased that this event emphasizes the dignity of the horse.”

Renowned trainers will act as Mentors for the audience over the four days and will comment on what you, as an audience member, are observing, giving you an opportunity to “see what they see.” They’re watching for how the horse transitions through the use of kindness and compassion, with no end of the day goals that must be achieved.