If
dedication and talent are prerequisites to success, 15-year-old Nolan Nolan
has a solid foundation to a successful career in the horse industry.
The New Braunfels teen’s career goal is to become a horse trainer, and
after watching him with his 4-year-old Mustang, Bravo; Nolan is well on his
way.
Nolan has been riding since he was 2 years old at his grandparents ranch and
started riding seriously just 3 years ago. Don Offerman of New Braunfels gave
the young horseman lots of useful advise to start on his quest to become a horseman.
In looking for mentors to assist him, Nolan looks to the best. He saw Kevin
Fiztpatrick at a performance and studied with him, along with world-renowned
Charro entertainer and superb horseman, Jerry Diaz, and he is currently training
with Scott Willet of New Braunfels.
Nolan is quite a performer having put on his first trick rope performance when
he was 12 years old for a friend’s birthday party. Since that time he’s
performed for school groups, at Folkfest, and ridden in parades.
Just over a year ago Nolan heard about a Bureau of Land Management Horse Adoption.
Nolan reamt of owning a Mustang since he was 5 years old and proceeded to talk
his father into attending the BLM Adoption in Glen Rose. His father was against
his son adopting a young, unbroke Mustang.
“I prayed about it,” said Nolan, “hoping and trusting in God
for the final outcome.”
On November 15, 2002 Nolan’s dream came true when he purchased the Seal
Brown Mustang for only $170.
Nolan put his whole heart into training Bravo and it shows, after 15 months
it’s obvious the brave little horse will do anything for him. Nolan is
home schooled from 7 am until 1 pm every day and the rest of the time he spends
outside practicing his roping, riding and training horses.
Nolan believes in slow, steady training, and the importance of knowing when
to quit. He started Bravo’s training with ground work in the round pen
and taught him to lay down. “It’s a great way to build trust with
a horse,” said Nolan. “When I started training Bravo to lay down,
he would wheel and kick, but I had him laying down the first day.”
Bravo’s training included being ponied, sacked out, bullwhips and shotguns.
Two weeks after bring Bravo home, he was shooting a 20-guage shotgun during
training sessions. Each training session ended with laying Bravo down, rubbing
him with he rope showing Bravo it was a good feeling and nothing to be afraid
of.
Nolan started Bravo in a bosal and saddling wasn’t a problem for Bravo
because Nolan started him bareback and didn’t introduce a saddle until
later in his training. Nolan introduced the bit and bridal without reins over
the bosal.
“It was important to me not to use force with Bravo,” said Nolan.
“I wanted him to become used to the feel of the bit, and associate what
I was asking him to do with the feel of the bit in his mouth. Most important
was to have Bravo moving off my leg reading my body language without pulling
on his mouth or pushing him into the bit. I’m really into reining, so
balance and finesse are very important.”
After 6 months of training Bravo and Nolan performed at the Texas Show in Palo
Duro Canyon, an outdoor drama showing the history of Texas. Nolan roped and
performed and also rode Bravo up a cliff and ran along the edge of the cliff
with the Texas flag for 64 shows.
Nolan recently took on his first job as a trainer. A few months ago he started
Dulce, a 4-year-old Mustang, owned by 10-year-old Daniela of Smithson Valley,
Texas. Captured as a 2-year-old, Dulce was then green broke by the Hutchinson
Prison Unit prior to being adopted in March of 2003. Daniela and Dulce make
a striking team, and Daniela plans to ride Dulce with the Comal County Sheriff’s
Posse Youth Drill Team and compete in 4-H, Playdays and Open Shows.
Nolan’s goal is to become a reining trainer, but he knows he has a long
way to go and the learning never stops. Offerman had to talk Nolan into learning
another aspect of riding…learning to ride English. “I’m currently
learning to ride English and do some jumping with Scott Willett,” said
Nolan. “I probably look a little funny riding English in my chaps and
hat.”
Bravo and Nolan will be featured during the October 9th Wild Horse and Burro
Horse Show. The show is part of the October 7-10 Adoption at the Hardy Murphy
Coliseum, Ardmore, Oklahoma.
“We are just amazed with Nolan, at just 15 years old he is very dedicated
and has spent so much time with Bravo,” said Christine Tincher, Public
Affairs Specialist, Bureau of Land Management. “He’s an exceptional
young man.”
Nolan’s next project is Tejas, a 3-year-old Mustang stud colt, purchased
at the February 20-21 Wild Horse and Burro Adoption at the Rose Palace. Tejas
was adopted for Nolan’s 10-year-old sister, Kara. After seeing what Nolan
has done with Bravo and Dulce, it’s pretty much guaranteed, Kara is going
to have a dependable, well-trained partner in Tejas.
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