Arvell Bass“I want horses that are soft, relaxed, and responsive” says Arvell Bass of Mountain Home, Arkansas. “Horses want riders that are soft, confident, and predictable.” Arvell teaches how to build a foundation with a horse that establishes leadership and trust which allows us to have horses that are willing and responsive.

“I learned a long time ago that horsemanship isn’t common sense” says Arvell. “We need to learn how horses think and how to read their feedback before we can become effective in our training. In all the different training programs out there today I feel there’s just not a nickels worth of difference from one to the next. What interests me the most in horse training is not how to train a horse, but understanding why, when, and how much pressure to apply, and of course the what if… Are you a horse whisperer? Arvell is sometimes asked, “no” he replies, “I call myself a student of horses. I want to be the best horseman I can be, and I try to learn something or get better at something everyday”.

One of his first paying jobs off the family farm was riding colts for a trainer who started 2-year olds that were headed back to the track. “I feel terrible about how we went about it”, he says “and it was a real breakthrough for me to finally realize that horses really do want to please us; we just have to help them understand what we want. I’m still amazed at how willing a horse is when we keep them relaxed. My past history with colts is the reason that training horses the right way is absolutely exhilarating for me now”.

One of Arvell’s frustrations is watching people ride well trained, responsive horses and seeing the horses not respond properly. Overtime he has become a master at helping people establish better partnerships with their horses. He loves giving others the opportunity to take part in the magical bond that can occur between man and horse.

He and his wife Karry own and operate a guest ranch and training facility that focuses on good horsemanship. Guests are welcome to bring their horses or ride the horses provided by the ranch. Arvell conducts clinics and holds continuing education class at the ranch where he assists people in training their horses.

StoneCreek Ranch
870-424-7433
http://www.stonecreekranchresort.com/