Although Kaylee Rice wasn’t born into a horse family, her parents were always supportive of her passion. By the time she was 6 years old, she had her first horse – a free gelding her family got off Craigslist. “He turned out to be the perfect first horse. He built my confidence and took great care of me,” Kaylee says.
Eventually, she got into showing horses, doing everything from western events to English, and started following the rodeo circuit. She’d clean stalls and do odd jobs around the barn for trainers in exchange for lessons and getting to train with them.
When she was 12, Kaylee discovered Downunder Horsemanship from her childhood best friend who used the Method. “One day when I was at her house it was raining, so we put on TV and the Downunder Horsemanship show was on,” Kaylee says. “I’d never seen someone do as much groundwork as Clinton was doing and it was obvious that it was beneficial. From then on, I wanted to learn more about the Method and have been studying it and using it with my horses ever since.”
When she was 13, Kaylee started taking in client horses to earn money to show her personal horses. “I was mostly training horses for a rescue, and I got to work with a little bit of everything. A lot of the horses were there as a last chance,” Kaylee says. “Working with such a wide variety of horses really bettered my feel and timing as a horseman.”
After graduating high school, Kaylee established a successful training business and got involved with chuckwagon racing. “Before long, I was training 10 horses a day. I wanted to take my business to the next level and knew going to the Academy and having Clinton’s backing would help separate me from other trainers and afford me the career I wanted to have,” Kaylee says.
As a Method Ambassador, the dedicated horsewoman is as passionate as ever about training horses and helping people. “I enjoy the training process so much and helping people communicate effectively with their horses,” Kaylee says. “I’ve seen the Method work with every horse, from a backyard, green-broke horse to a 6-year-old feral stud that’d been abused. The results are amazing if you put in the time.”
Kaylee is based in Vaiden, Mississippi, where she trains horses for the public and teaches private lessons and clinics that focus on the Fundamentals level of the Method. Learn all about Kaylee on her website and contact her directly at 662-688-5783 or [email protected].
