DRAWDY TRAINING FACILITY LLC
SAINT CLOUD, FLORIDA

Russell is an NRHA Professional trainer that has demonstrated the ability to train, teach, coach, and advance many of his reining team members. He has been taught and worked under great horsemen such as: Charles Smith NRHA Hall of Famer, Corey Hendrickson, Bobby Avila Jr., Chip Stewart, Ham Brown, and Norman West. He has done extensive self study from methods taught by Pat Parelli, Clinton Anderson, and Chris Cox and in addition, he got the once in a lifetime opportunity to ride with reining trainers throughout the country in 2009 while his wife was hauling for a world title. This opportunity allowed Russell to work with other reining trainers around the country, polishing his skills for the reining competition arena which carried over into his training program. Russell was also responsible for hauling Mark This Treasure over 70,000 miles for his wife’s world title. This hauling duty did not come without stress and worry. There quickly became a fine line between risk and reward with every decision in the hauling world. “Marky” had to be kept comfortable and fit without being too tired to compete. While his wife flew home to tend to her public accounting firm, he was in charge of the care, maintenance, health, and happiness of Marky. He learned to structure Markys fitness program between resting and hauling him between shows. This experience earned Russell grave knowledge about the care of a horse under performance stress as well as how to increase the longevity of a performance horse. Marky is still showing and scoring well! Marky became Russell’s main mount in 2010. Russell had a successful 2010, winning the year end in all four Open classes for SFRHA: Open, Int Open, Ltd Open and Rookie Pro. He also won the Southeast Affiliate Finals Championship in 2010 in Rookie Pro and won the Southeast Affiliate Reserve Championship in Ltd Open and Intermediate Open! In 2011, it got better by this team winning Ltd Open and Rookie Pro in FRHA as well as Int Open and Ltd Open in SFRHA. He is riding client’s horses in 2012 with much success, being in the NRHA Top Ten in the World Standings! Visit the Accomplishments page for his latest wins and up to date news! Winning is fun but Russell is even more proud of his training applications as he has been able to apply his knowledge to all his clients. But reining is not the only thing Russell excels at. Russell is a performance horse trainer that uses natural horsemanship methods which can be applied to all disciplines. He has an extensive diversified background that enables him to combine his well rounded experience to produce the effects desired by the horse owner. He has been training horses since 1982 and began his training career by self training his own horses and competing in Rodeo events while in high school. He was very successful competing in team roping, steer wrestling, and calf roping and then he then began to train and compete on cutting horses. The cutting industry gave him a good foundation to the working cow industry as his family owned and operated a cattle ranch on 100 acres. He gained a good understanding of the working needs of the ranch hand and the training philosophy of natural horsemanship in action. He was lucky enough to work with some Osceola County Icons, known for their horsemanship, and they passed down their skills and knowledge to him. He has never forgotten the good foundation he learned from them and appreciates all their advice and training through the years, now training and showing in the upper level performance of reining. We welcome you to visit to see if Russell is the trainer for you and your horse! 1. Are bloodlines important for making a reining horse? Many of the exercises used to train reining horses will help almost any riding horse with things like flexibility. It is generally a mistake however, to try to make horses do difficult maneuvers they are not suited to or capable of doing. The advantages of breeding are demonstrated in two ways. Correct conformation to perform the required maneuvers, such as quick stops and turns is one advantage. The other is disposition to accept training and stay clam while doing them. Felt hats are easier to keep on than straw hats; proper fit is essential. Sometimes riders use bobby pins or apply hair spray or golf club grip cream to the front of the sweat band to make it tacky. We have some ideas that we will be glad to help you with. Any western saddle is appropriate but those that are designed specifically for reining usually give the rider the best advantage. Your saddle should always be clean and well oiled. We have several well made reining saddles in our tack room that we will be glad to use in helping you fit your horse. Breastcollars may be used if necessary to prevent the saddle from slipping back. Most horsemen agree that not using a breastcollar provides more freedom of movement. If using a breastcollar be sure it is not rubbing the hair or skin off the horse’s chest. There are many types of pads and blankets available. The most important things are to keep them clean and in good repair, making certain they are thick enough to protect the horse’s back yet not so thick they can roll from side to side. The shape of the horse’s withers is the biggest factor in determining the correct thickness. Splint boots should be worn at all times. They provide protection to the splint and cannon bones should they be inadvertently struck by the hoof and/or shoe of the opposite foot. Some splint boots provide extra support for the tendons. Cadence is a uniform rhythm or tempo. While performing a maneuver it is important in spins and circles to help create the smooth flowing appearance which makes them pleasing to watch. Working with a knowledgeable and reputable trainer is one of the cheapest investments you can make. The cost of training and lessons is a fraction of the cost of horses, trucks, trailers and equipment and will help insure that you get the most out of all of these. Seek out a trainer who specializes in working with Non-Pros.