Reed Sykes on Learning Horsemanship, Patience, and the Pressure of Training in Public

Neil welcomes Reed Sykes with co-host Kyle Johnson to The Cowboy Perspective for a conversation about horsemanship and animal training, focusing on building confidence rather than stripping it away. Reed shares his background growing up in Midland with a ranch near San Angelo, graduating from Sam Houston State after attending several universities, working in the oil field, then leaving in 2015 to train horses and dogs for the public despite initially feeling unprepared. He avoids labels like “cowboy” or “buckaroo,” emphasizing daily improvement and teaching horses to “try,” rewarding small efforts even when imperfect. The discussion covers patience as a learned skill, how experience changes expectations, pressure on trainers working under deadlines and public scrutiny, and how social media acts as a curated “commercial” that can both connect people and create problems. They describe how social media is a “commercial,” how honest bluntness can attract better clients, and how public scrutiny and deadlines affect trainers. Kyle and Reed compare cowboy and dressage/eventing perspectives, discuss being humbled by new environments, and argue that excessive groundwork can be a disservice if it replaces riding. Reed explains “school halt,” its classical dressage roots, its use for strengthening and demonstrating true engagement, and why he avoids making it a default response.

Topics

01:49 Reed’s Background Story

02:57 Leaving Oilfield for Horses

05:27 What Kind of Horseman

07:35 Reward the Small Try

10:31 Teaching Movement and Feel

13:24 Learning Patience Over Time

16:25 Clients Pressure and Public Eye

23:25 How Reed and Kyle Met

24:49 Social Media as a Highlight Reel

29:40 Dressage Exposes Weaknesses

33:50 Mirrors and Learning Feel

36:20 Knowing Terms vs Getting It Done

37:30 Green vs Polished Horses

38:55 Kids and Real World Prep

40:56 Anxiety Vessel Concept

43:02 Wickenburg Culture Shock

47:56 Expectations and Rolling Punches

50:27 Why Colts Buck First Ride

52:52 What Kind of Trainer

53:28 Eventing Explained

56:00 Breeds and No Ribbons

01:00:19 Competing to Stay Humble

01:03:16 Groundwork vs Getting On

01:07:08 When Groundwork Matters

01:08:23 Origins of School Halt

01:09:29 From Halt to Airs

01:11:06 Why Train It

01:12:08 Proving True Collection

01:16:44 Deep Dive Into Dressage

01:19:32 Warhorse Mindset

01:22:59 Feel and Athleticism

01:26:00 Finding the Right Mentors

01:27:05 Books and Translation

01:31:01 Share the Knowledge

01:35:33 Wrapping Up and Next Steps