Welcome to the website for the historic (but fictional) Tipped Z Ranch located in Tucson, Arizona. The Tipped Z aspires to follow the classical training methods of old vaquero. This tradition starts horses in a rawhide bosal and mane hair mecate. (Together, this is called a hackamore.) From there, the horse progresses through the two-rein and into the spade bit of the finished bridle horse.
Through many years of a skilled rider working to preserve sensitivity and build trust, these horses reach incredible levels of refinement. Fear and pain have no place in this training style. Neither do gadgets, gimmicks, or short cuts. Practitioners work to build up confidence and understanding in the horse using simple tack, balance, signals, and repetition. The end result is a happy horse who is safe and quiet, and yet also extremely light and responsive. Some modern variations of this tradition start the horse in the snaffle bit, but the goal is the same.
If you're interested in this way of working horses, we learned many of the training techniques described in the Tipped Z books by studying and (in some cases) attending the clinics of the following trainers.
Another great resource is The Eclectic Horseman website.
We also learned a good deal from the teachings of Buck Brannaman. However, his methods are a slight departure from the older tradition we have gravitated towards in more recent years. Still, if you're looking for a place to start with this style of horsemanship, his resources are invaluable.
This is by no means a complete list of the masters we have learned from. And while we are grateful to the humans who have helped us on our horsemanship journey, it's really the horses (with their infinite patience and willingness to forgive mistakes) who are the true teachers.