TESTIMONIALS
Respectful partnering with incredible results! I’ve met several trainers in the last 40 years and a few have a gift that they can share in a comfortable, non judgmental manner. Michael is one of those gifted people. My 21 year old Morgan mare (he loves working with mares) was turning around too quickly in the horse trailer following a long recovery from a broken neck. I didn’t know how to fix it as she can no longer be tied. In about an hour Michael had her walking in, standing quietly, and walking quietly out. Then we went into his beautiful arena and learned some ground work that translates perfectly into trail riding. She followed Michael everywhere around the arena and responded to each request. It truly was one of those once in a lifetime experiences with someone who sought to understand and took us beyond what I had imagined. He’s clear, calm, and fair. Looking forward to more time with him in the future!
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Anne M.
Michael Klaasen owner of Bucking K Horsemanship is the best. Knowledgeable, professional, personable, and gets results. We purchased a 5 year old mare last month and found out she is greener than we expected and is not comfortable transitioning into a lope. She is bucking and having blow-ups during the transition. Michael came highly recommended to us, so we called him in to assess her. He found our mare had some gaps in her training and appeared to have been rushed through some key elements. She is a good horse, very smart and willing, but missing the confidence and tools to react appropriately. We are so glad we called for his help! We find Michael to be extremely knowledgeable in training, confirmation and horse mechanics. Michael pointed out a shoeing issue that needs to be corrected to help her with balance and gate. What we love is Michael is not just training our horse, he is also teaching us how to handle this situation and build trust and confidence in riding her. He is taking the time with us to explain what he is doing and why. This is helping us work with her as well with consistency. We are two weeks into training and she is learning to transition through ground work and has two successful rides with no buck. We are very pleased with how she is responding and progressing. Michael is the all around horseman, extremely knowledgeable with the ability to assess and address the whole horse, making each horse the best that they can be. It is a pleasure and fun to work with Michael and we are now excited again about our new mare.
Val and Dave C.
We are so incredibly grateful that we found Michael and Bucking K Horsemanship! His care and concern for the long-term well-being of our young horse is extremely evident in everything he does. He is one of the most gifted horsemen we have come across in all our years of owning and working with horses. He is not only amazingly talented, but his deep knowledge of horses, their behaviors, and their needs is seriously impressive! We feel so lucky to have him working with us and our horse. He is a trainer who absolutely prioritizes doing what is right for the horse, while also being respectful of the needs of the client. ON TOP of his gift with horses, Michael is awesome with kids…something that is also super important to me! I have found that is sometimes hard to come by in a top-notch horseman, but Michael is loved not only by the horse, but by my kids as well! Anyone looking for an extremely talented, top-notch horseman with integrity and deep knowledge, who will produce amazing results in your horse (and also be great with your kids), will do well to get some of Michael’s time!
Laura M.
"Michael has been working with our two Western Pleasure horses for about 10 months. His understanding and talent with horses makes each session fun and productive. I love his perspective when we get “stuck” on something with one of the horses and he helps us work past that thing. Michael is professional, honest and hard working. We would absolutely recommend him to any potential clients."
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Cindy R.
"Michael helped my gelding keep his brain in the game while I was recovering from surgery and had trouble walking much less riding. He was endlessly patient and willing to impart his knowledge (to me and the horse!) and set us both up to succeed. I am now riding again and looking forward to hitting the trails."
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Chris A.
Michael worked with my 10 year old green gelding. He evaluated and trained in a very calm and encouraging manner. He was equally confident and encouraging with me. I'm 68 years old, and have some physical limitations. I've also watched Michael work with feral horses. He gains their respect and trust in a very safe and quiet way. Thank you for your help, Michael.
Jan S.
"Thank you Michael for helping me strengthen my relationship with my horse and get us going in the right direction. I am having so much more fun now riding and bonding with my horse. I am still amazed at how much progress we made in our very first day of training alone and in just a few short months we have her moving beautifully!"
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Penny T.
I met Michael last year when he brought a friend to see a horse that I was selling that had more issues than I was led to believe and wanted to take on at that time. Watching him with the horse was a thing of magic. I took his advice and sought out Jim Becka (now the farrier for our barn, thank you so much!) and Birgit Burglechner. Their care for the horse changed everything. As his pain subsided and his trust increased I found him a home with a beautiful young family that will tell you he has changed their life.
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Debbie S.
Michael has helped me understand how to clearly and consistently communicate with my horse. It’s something I didn’t fully understand before working with Michael. I feel like I am building an honest partnership with my horse, gaining confidence that I can teach my horse, and developing true horsemanship skills.
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Charlie F.
Not only is Michael amazing at understanding horses and their needs but he is an amazing educator to us horse parents as well. The ability to be able to understand the horses view point is amazing but he then also understands people as a rider from all walks. Michael is able to clearly incorporate both the horse and the rider and bring them together to build the partnership we all strive for. This is not only rare but makes Michael exceptional. I am so grateful and thankful for his mentoring and friendship.
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Jo K.
“We recently purchased a wonderful horse from Michael that he trained. I have two daughters, age 6 and 9, so I was looking for a well trained, calm, and patient horse and he matched us to the perfect mare. Our horse has the best manners and is a absolute joy to ride, thanks to all the great training Michael has done with her. You can tell he puts his heart and soul into these horses and the results reflect that! I grew up riding and have worked with many trainers, but his methods and his calmness around horses is inspiring. I am now taking lessons with Michael and learning a ton that I never learned in my prior years of riding. Thanks Michael for making the horse buying experience easy and for all the great work you do! “
Ashlee C.
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