John Kinsey had been riding and training quarter type horses since the 1920's. His father and grandfather were horsemen, as were his older brothers. At an early age, John was recognized by his family and local ranchers as having a "gift with horses". The "gift" was what is now popularly called a "horse whisperer". When John returned to Oklahoma and Kansas from the Pacific as a Marine at the end of WWII, he bought a son of Waggoner's Rainy Day P13 and began breeding and raising Quarter horses that eventually were shipped yearly to states in the Northeast. In the late '50s, John saw one of his King Ranch bred horses win on the track. He knew he had horses at home working cattle that could do better. Eventually, John acquired Dan Bar Lea, AAA and World Champion Running Horse sire Sir Max. Both produced babies that haltered, but the speed bug had bitten and that was the priority.
 Mike Kinsey took over management of the equine operation in 1994. In addition to the primary focus of equine reproduction, Mike began addressing a market new to the Kinsey's. Focusing on the recreational Trail Horse market, teaching "Train the Trainer" classes to prepare developing horsemen and women to own and manage their own horses and conducting clinics is the primary goal. "The days of doing basic training for 30 days and turning young horses over to a rancher for continued training is not the here and now." We expect these students will be our market as they appreciate the need for quality, athletic ability and sound positive training.
Mike's summarized philosophy is "We don't take every student that applies, and we have turned off more foal sales than we have made. We have a reputation to keep. We respect the right of others to believe as they will. We expect others to respect our Christian principals. Safety is a must at our facility. Individuals that have not learned to listen and act with self discipline have no place around the horses, regardless of belief, or age. For those who come to learn, there is no time clock."
Mike brings a goal oriented perspective to his clinics. His background training horses to perform rather than be a pet, is a practical, pragmatic horse-oriented foundation. Many folks find this foundation refreshing compared to those who attended clinics to be a clinician. Mike not only shows the 'how', but can explain 'why' in practical been-there-done-that terms. No games, no gimmicks, just horsemanship.
Start 'em Right®
In 1960, John decided his 8 year old son Mike was ready to begin an internship training colts. He instilled the philosophy "Start 'em Right®" and required Mike to read articles and books of early horseman. Within two years local ranchers were dropping horses off at the Kinsey Ranch. They recognized that Mike had his dad's gift of working with horses rather than forcing or fighting them.
They were happy to pay $60 for thirty days training and get a started colt that that was ready to navigate the thousand acre prairie pastures, willing to cross rivers, follow cows, work with their head in a neutral position, not spook from traffic, flapping sacks and the myriad of obstacles young Mike put them through.
By the mid '60s, Mike was jockeying in match races at Eureka Downs. At age 15, Mike still was just 5' and weighed 105 lbs. John had visions of a dedicated jockey when Mike would get his jockey license upon his 16th birthday. Mike was training all the horses on the Kinsey Ranch, exercising the race horses, and training more and more horses from local ranches, in spite of his diminutive size.
Training six to 14 hours each day through the summer and several hours a day during the winter school year eventually turned Mike from the apprentice trainer, to become the local authority on starting colts. John never got his jockey when Mike's growth spurt hit a couple of months prior to turning 16.
Credentials
Mike:
* has a BS from Kansas State U, and a MS from the University of Missouri - Rolla.
* was the co-author of a series of 12 articles that appeared in 2003 Western Horseman that won American Horse Publication's 2003 Best Educational Series. The trail horse training articles were collectively called Back Country Basics.
* did a series of 3 articles in 2005 called Pre-Purchase Behavioral Diagnostics for the South East Equine Magazine.
* in 2001 was selected by AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association - the largest most influential breed organization in the world) to represent AQHA on their online forum "Ask the Expert" for recreational trail horse training.
* in 2005 was the guest clinician and judge at The Great American Trail Horse Expo at the Equine Coliseum in Lexington Va.
* has done clinics and presentations for AQHA, SCQHA, South Carolina's Horseman Council, and 4-H groups.
* was invited to do a two day clinic in Johannesburg South Africa. At the conclusion of the clinic, the South African Quarter Horse Association offered Mike's son and primary assistant trainer, Jon, a year long fellowship where Jon would conduct exhibitions around South Africa.
* has been the resident expert for Pony Express Horse forum, as well as contributing to other equine forums.
* won his first AQHA all-round youth trophy at age 12 in the 18 and under division.
* at age 14 won the AQHA champion trophy for judging against 19 years and under at the tri-state event for Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas in Dewey Oklahoma.
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