Horses

As well as the cattle operation, Champion Ranch has developed a horse program to meet the needs of the industry and our customers. Our goal is to produce a horse that has the genetics, confirmation, disposition (trainability), athletic ability, and soundness to be either a successful show horse or a great ranch horse . With today’s horse market being as tough as it is, we have taken a hard look at our horses and are using only top of the line broodmares and some of today’s top stallions. Champion Ranch is a big supporter of the American Stock Horse Association and Stock Horse of Texas because we feel these associations are headed in the right direction for the horse industry. We focus on raising horses that can fit the mold for these associations as well as AQHA versatility competitions. Our mares and foals are raised in pastures, not in stalls. As long yearlings, the colts are sent to Sam Houston State University’s Equine program. There, they will spend the fall months with individual students who work one-on-one with them being desensitized, saddled, lounged, and ground tied. The colts also benefit from lots of TLC. The colts are brought back to the ranch when the students leave for break and are returned back to pastures to let there minds absorb their last three months of training. The colts are then taken back to the students in late winter. Once back in the training program, they will get a quick refresher. The students then begin to ride these colts and progress them along until May. As a working cow ranch where everything is done horseback, we take great pride in horses that can go out and do a day’s work, but can be tuned up and compete in the show ring. All our two year-olds are broke-to-ride and have just returned from the colt training program at SHSU. Now that they are back at the Ranch, we are continuing to train on the colts daily and they are showing great improvement in and out of the pen.