Testimonial from Jason Travis:
I have spent the majority of my life in service. I started with eight years in the Marine Corps, spent nearly 30 years in law enforcement until I retired, and then became a volunteer firefighter. I never once during that time considered owning a horse. I never realized how God could use a connection with horses to bring healing and calm to the spirit of a man who carried decades of post-traumatic stress from a life of service.
When we bought five acres in western Montana, my daughter and my wife both wanted horses. We couldn’t afford much, but a friend soon found the perfect horse for our daughter, and before we knew it, a beautiful four-year-old mustang was looking at us from the temporary pen we set up. Two days later, that pretty little mare had kicked my daughter square on the chin and severely broken her jaw. After an event like that, most people would consider getting rid of the horse. Not us. It wasn’t the horse’s fault. A month or so later, two more horses joined the herd. The two geldings had both been feral on a reservation before being rescued from the kill pen, and were young and healthy and just the right price. Now we had three green horses to go with three green owners, and that was a recipe for trouble. With the help of a knowledgeable friend, we worked with the horses and made good but slow progress over the next year. Though we still couldn’t ride them, we had come to enjoy them immensely. The friend didn’t have enough time, however, and we didn’t have enough confidence. It was becoming clear we needed additional help. The horses were here to stay. My search led me to Joe Misner and Wild 2 Ride. I joined the Wild 2 Ride Academy and sent my horses to train with Joe as well. My wife and daughter began taking riding lessons.
It goes without saying the horses have become an important part of our family’s life. They are very much loved and will be a part of our lives for a long time to come. We are finally getting the training we need to safely work with and ride our horses and, if it stopped there, it would be a blessing. However, Wild 2 Ride goes beyond that. Joe helps you to understand what your horse needs both for its proper care and its ability to accomplish what you ask of it. Joe doesn't use a lot of the old cowboy training techniques; instead, his training takes into account the spirit of the animal so it learns without its spirit being broken. It is a way that builds trust and leadership with the horse. I have learned to better control my own emotions and support the horses as they learn. The ability to control myself so I can be a better leader for the horse also helps me deal with the trauma that has built up over the decades of service. I believe God has created a special bond between man and horse. The horses give me a sense of peace that has only been enhanced by my time at Wild 2 Ride.
Testimonial from Matthew Pickett:
In the final months of my military service, I believe God invited me to spend time with Him and His Mustangs in Montana, giving me a desire of my heart I had held for a number of years. After about a month of making connections there, I received a call back from Joe Misner at the Wild to Ride Academy. After a conference call with Joe and Dave, I was offered a full scholarship for my tuition through Mustangs 4 Military, and I showed up at the ranch just days after receiving my DD214.
“Slow is fast, make it gravy,” -Joseph P. Misner. For anyone that hasn’t made gravy before, if you have the heat on too high and try to make it too quickly, it’ll burn and you have to start over. I came to the ranch with a very fast pace I had learned from my time in the Army. There were always fires to put out, putting me in a constant state of flight. My fiancée asked me early on into our dating, “Who’s chasing you?” And I sincerely didn’t have an answer. I had no ability to relax, no concept of what rest was.
Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Throughout my time at the Wild to Ride Academy, I learned that if I wanted to be able to work effectively with these horses who were fresh off the range, I needed to go slower than I thought I needed to. These horses needed a calm, confident, caring, clear, and consistent leader. I needed to first be at rest, before I could expect the horses to be so.
I stayed at a bunkhouse during my month long stay, and because I was so close, I took care of about 20 horses’ basic needs everyday. By simply mucking out corrals, I learned to read a horse’s body language, which provided me vital information I needed to consider each horse I worked with on the ground and in the saddle. Through caring for these horses, our Heavenly Father showed me how He sees and considers me, how He provides all that I need, and when I come to Him, I receive security, safety, and rest.
I’ve been riding and working with horses since I was a boy, but I’d never actually connected with a horse to the depth I did while at Wild to Ride. When you invest in and consider the horse, they can show you things about yourself you didn’t know were there. All my frustrations and fear were reflected by the horse, and I learned to give everything to the Lord, who cares for me.
So, if you want to learn about Wild Horses, how to consider them, and how to be a good leader for them, come to Wild to Ride. Joe and his family are God fearing, kind, compassionate, empathetic, and knowledgeable folks. If you come to the Academy, it will change your life if you let it, as it has changed mine.
To my Heavenly Father, thank you giving me this opportunity to know you and myself in a deeper way. To the Misners, Paynes, and the whole Wild to Ride family, I offer my most heartfelt thanks for showing me what unconditional love looks like in relationships with humans and horses. Hasta, manaña.
Testimonial from Jeff Wilcox
My Experience at the Wild 2 Ride Academy in Missoula, MT, was amazing. My name is Jeff Wilcox, I'm a 62 year old retired Army Veteran. I have owned and have been trail riding horses for about 7 years, but my horsemanship journey has just begun. My horse Sonny and I just spent several days at the academy learning from Joe and it was life changing. I highly recommend this program for all veterans.