This interview with Curt Pate covers his journey in the horse world, starting from his childhood experiences riding horses to his current focus on stockmanship. He discusses how his early ranching and rodeo background lacked formal horsemanship training, which changed after attending a clinic with Renee Pipinich. This led him to explore different horsemanship approaches.
Curt and Emily visit about the Midwest Horse Fair, which Curt did his first demonstrations at 25 years ago and where he’ll be returning to again this year in April.
Pate’s career evolved after experiences on “The Horse Whisperer” movie set. He became disillusioned with the clinic circuit and the ego-driven aspects of horsemanship he observed. He contrasts this with the “pride-based horsemanship” he learned from figures like Tom Dorrance, Sally Swift, Bob Avila, and Teddy Robinson, emphasizing the importance of work ethic and fun alongside skill. He recounts an experience where he wrote an article about the one-rein stop that caused controversy. He criticizes the ego-driven marketing tactics used at horse expos, where the focus shifted from genuine horsemanship to showmanship and selling products. He laments the decline of colt starting demonstrations, which he saw as valuable educational opportunities, in favor of competitions. Ultimately, Pate’s focus shifted from horsemanship to stockmanship, where he aims to improve the quality of life for livestock while still achieving desired results.
