Episode 136 Ben Longwell True West Horsemanship / A Colorado Cowboy In New Zealand…

I always enjoy talking with horseman and Bens story is one of a kind. Ben Longwell owns and operates True West Horsemanship, based most of the year in New Zealand. Ben grew up on the Western Slope of Colorado, riding horses and working cattle. After finishing school, he spent much of his time doing day work for different ranches in the area, learning from the experience of the ranchers. He also spent a year working as assistant trainer at a Quarter Horse breeder in Colorado, learning the basics of colt starting and true horsemanship. Much of the next six years was spent in the colt starting & horse training business and his knowledge and experience continued to expand. During this time Ben worked on a 300,000 acre cattle & horse ranch in Wyoming, where he was also involved in conducting horsemanship clinics and demonstrations. Adding to a lifetime of practical equine experience, he is influenced by the methods of such horsemen as Tom & Bill Dorrance, Ray Hunt, and Buck Brannaman and has ridden with Richard Caldwell, Jeff Sanders, Martin Black and Dave Weaver. In 2011, Ben and his wife Natalie moved to her native country of New Zealand and took the opportunity to build a horse training and clinic business. Since then, Ben has been privileged to be a returning Clinician at NZ’s national horse expo seven different years. In 2014 Ben was invited to participate in New Zealand’s first Kaimanawa Stallion Challenge – where trainers were randomly given a Kaimanawa Stallion straight from the wild and competed in 2 stages of competition. Ben has appeared in and written for a number of Equine Magazines, both in New Zealand and internationally, as well as appearing in an episode of Masterclass on Country TV. He also has an Online Video Library that contains a wide range of instructional videos for advancing students’ skills and horsemanship regardless of discipline or breed. Resources: @true_west_horsemanship truewesthorsemanship.com TikTok: @truewesthorsemanship Photo Credit: Debby Thomas Show Sponsors: @tommyhawksaxehouse www.tommyhawks.net @thecowlot www.thecowlot.com Show Music: “The Ropin Pen” By: Trent Willmon https://trentwillmon.com/ “Cowboy” By: Kolt Barber https://www.koltbarber.com/ MC Podcast Production & Editing: Matt Kirschner https://www.instagram.com/mattjkirschner/