REVIEWS

"Miles and I covered a lot of country together over the years, and I know he credits much of his practical horsemanship and low-stress cattle handling skill set to decades of daily exposure to the land, cattle, dedicated cowboys and cowgirls, and the many horses he was so blessed to ride on his remarkable journey."    

 

~Tim O'Byrne, former Gang Ranch cowboss and current publisher/editor of Working Ranch magazine

                                        

                                                                     **********************************************************

 

"It is wonderful to see Miles Kingdon getting out and teaching folks. I have known Miles since 1981, when we worked on the Douglas Lake cowboy crew together. Miles was a little older than me and really helped me out a lot when I was just starting out there. He has always been a natural teacher and and his forty plus years working on the big outfits, I know he helped a lot of guys become better horsemen and stockmen. The best thing about Miles is that he never stops learning and expanding his knowledge, and he has honed that knowledge doing real jobs on horse back for a very long time. This is what sets Miles apart from a lot of the folks out there teaching. He didn't learn these things in a clinic, he learned them through trial and error from years of practical application. In short, he is the real deal. I did not see Miles for many years and when we did meet up again, I still found him to be one of the most genuine people I have ever known. He, like myself, still had a hunger to learn and find out ways to help horses to perform well, while making it the best deal for the horse as he possibly could. He can help you with your riding, roping and stock handling no matter what level you're at in your journey . With all that experience working for you, plus the fact that he is just a good guy; you can't go wrong."

 

~Bruce Sandifer, Founder and President of the Californio Bridle Horse Assc.

​

                                                                   ***********************************************************

​

It’s hard for a wannabe country girl like me to give due respect to the resume of Clinician Miles Kingdon. What does it mean to have worked or even run operations for Douglas Lake, Nicola, Gang Ranch, Empire Valley, Bar K, and Quilchena? These ranches are/were amongst the first and largest in all of Canada, spanning in the thousands of acres over wild and rugged terrain and in climates that are as inhospitably hot in the summer as they are bitterly cold in the winter. Put it this way, if ranching were the Army, this is the man who worked his way from Private to General through countless tours of duty. Miles has spent over 40 years living the lifestyle we emulate in horse sport. There are few true-blue cowboys in this world and fewer still who are willing to divulge the wisdom they garnered through years of practical use, trial and error, and, (as Miles was so quick to point out) through listening closely to the great horseman who were just as generous to him with their own hard earned knowledge. Any ideas one might have about a cowboy who sacrifices softness and his horse’s confidence to the aim of getting the job done hasn’t seen Miles ride. Listen to him speak and you will hear over and over, “Do less.” “Slower.” “Softer.” “Wait.” “Release.” You will hear poetry- “Show your palm to the sun, your horse will thank you for it.” And you will see poetry put to motion when, with impeccable timing and rhythmic feel, he lulls his mount to a soft and willing state of being. “Left front, right hind, right front, left hind” he chants as he “rides the four corners of the horse”. Mr. Kingdon, by any disciplines standard, is one hell of a fine horseman in both practise and theory. During his clinic, he made a conscious effort to ensure that every horse had a positive experience in the dry work and with the cattle. The respect shown to the horse, to ensuring it’s physical and mental well being was never in question. There was no ‘get’r done’. There was “do it right.” Whether you were riding a little english pony, a 17HH warmblood or a well bred cow horse, he took as much care in introducing each horse and rider to handing stock as he would if they were going to be put to work on the ranch the next day. The illusion of a intimidating and allusive cowboy was quickly shattered when, in the middle of working a cow, we’d hear him singing a Christmas jingle. Miles may speak with quiet and measured tones, and he chooses his words with methodical care, but he laughs freely and heartily, and is quick to call out “good job”. In fact, I never saw him say a cross word (well, except for that one time a bee got caught up in his wild-west moustache). A born storyteller, there were plenty of times he had us all hanging on his every word while regaining us with tales of a lifestyle we’d only seen in movies. Miles took so much care in every single aspect of his clinic... that we all learned (including me as an auditor), that we all felt comfortable and included, welcomed and free to ask questions, that everyone took something away from the weekend and had a good time too. He really genuinely cared. That’s Miles in a word- genuine. True-blue. The real deal. There are no gimmicks to his program. No sale pitches. And he is so very humble, you’ll never know you’re riding with one of the most well respected and accomplished stockmen in Canada (and a BC Cowboy Hall of Famer). He’s just a kind hearted cowboy with a lot of tried-and-true skill lending a helping hand to those who want to learn about stock or how to be better with their horses. You absolutely will not regret taking a clinic from Miles Kingdon.

~Chelsi Hinde

​

                                                        ************************************************************************

​

​

Amazing amazing man with personality plus!! 
I recently went and audited a clinic that Miles's and Mark put on together. What an awesome experience even though I wasn't riding in this particular clinic, I had a friend who was. Both she and I came away with some awesome new tools that we could work with at home, to improve our relationships with our horses. It was well worth my time as an auditor he was very thorough with his explanations and would take time to answer my questions and explain the reasoning behind his methods. 
Miles is a very experienced horseman and I can't wait to bring my horse to one of his clinics when he is back in my area! 
Even if you can't ride please go and audit it's amazing you will still learn a lot of techniques and have a better understanding of what your horse needs, you will also walk away happy just from the energy that he creates with the horses and humans alike.

~Kara Orringe

​

                                                        ************************************************************************

​

​

In addition to being incredibly skilled, Miles is a gifted instructor. He has an easy, authentic manner and he caters his approach to each individual rider/horse pair that he works with. It's clear that his decades of real-life experience have made him as insightful as he is knowledgeable. He meets horse and rider at their level and patiently brings them along. What a confidence booster and just plain ol' good time! I hope to have the opportunity to learn with him again!

~Jacquie Barnes

​

                                                      ************************************************************************

​

Miles is patient, supportive, encouraging and just the right amount of challenging with everyone he works with, be they human, horse or cattle. He has a lifetime of experience and shares it willingly with anyone interested in gaining from it. His timing, feel and skill are incredible and I was grateful for the opportunity to learn from him. I look forward to the next opportunity!

~Christa Miremadi

​

                                                             ********************************************************************

​

After my horse and I had had a few months off riding I spent the weekend working with Miles. After a few focused exercises you could see a real change in my horse's movement and energy. He was more willing in his turns and focused on what the rider was asking. Miles helped instil confidence in me to ask for more out of my horse while still always releasing when he's done what I've asked. It was a much needed two days of guidance for both myself and my horse.

~Katie Ottenbreit

​

​

​