For his parents, it was a babysitter. But now it’s become a profession.
When Jarrod Freeman was 13, his parents bought an aged gelding that in his words, “was something I could go to the barn and ride by myself and they didn’t have to worry about me.”
“I sold that horse and made a little profit.”
Jarrod has since bought, trained, shown and sold quite a few horses. He is currently down to five – two brood mares and three colts.
But it isn’t about the numbers; it’s about the show.
Jarrod began showing as a teen and hasn’t stopped since; even while getting two degrees from MSU – he officially graduates this August and is now working a full-time "city job."
Jarrod shows only what he trains and he trains only what he plans to show. And Fox Trotters are his horse of choice.
Fox Trotters have quite a reputation to live up to. Declared the Official State Horse of Missouri in 2002, Fox Trotters originated in Missouri decades ago. They are often referred to as ‘the horse for all situations,’ or as Jarrod calls them; “a multi-purpose horse, an every-man horse.” Their particular gait makes them a comfortable and sought after trail-riding horse.
He starts working with a colt at about 17-18 months in the fall before the next year’s show season begins. These first time horses are futurity; they will be shown against other horses that have never been in the show ring. Owners put up their entry fees and choose their horses well before the season is underway, before a horse has proven itself.
Jarrod was just 17 when he won a sizeable purse with a three-year-old futurity horse.
Missouri winter weather and a relatively short prep time means an indoor facility is needed to take young spring colts and have them ready for the show season. Jarrod rents stalls at an arena in Willard, Mo.
The process begins in the fall, with an unbroken horse. But Jarrod is no horse-whisperer. He considers his technique of breaking and training to be somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. "I don’t think you gain anything by putting a saddle on a colt and sinking your spurs in the first time – trying to John Wayne him – that teaches him bad habits. You can get hurt.”
“I’ll start by putting a saddle on them for about 15 minutes a day. I’ll work with them about 45 days teaching them the fundamentals. Two-year-olds are not for the fainthearted, they are like toddlers with a short attention span.”
“I do moderate ground work but I've found you could never teach much of value unless you are in the saddle.”
Fox Trotters are noted for a good temperament. Jarrod cautioned however, that while there are some you can put in a round pen for 30 minutes and “my grandma could ride off on them,” there are others, like one he worked with last summer, and again in the fall, he’d not put anybody on who is less of a rider than he is.
Jarrod’s emphasis is on training for the show ring where he likes a horse to have a little spark or spunk. “When you call on them you want them to do that little bit extra.”
Whether training for the trail or the arena Jarrod wants a horse he can trust. “One that can do the required task – cross water or ride in a lighted arena in front of 600 people.”
