Bluebonnet Horse Expo & Rescue Horse Training Challenge

Bluebonnet Horse Expo & Rescue Horse Training Challenge️ 3 days ago

We appreciate anyone who can help us get the word out. Applications for the 2026 Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge are open - and we are assigning horses for the professional division starting now! For those not familiar with the Training Challenge, it is an event where professional trainers and amateur horse lovers work with a Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society horse for 4-5 months and then come together to show off what the horse knows and help them find an adopter. We have divisions for kids and adults to work with a horse in hand, a division for amateurs to work with a horse under saddle who is at least green broke to ride, and a division for professionals to start a horse under saddle who either isn't broke to ride or has behavioral problems (we disclose what we know). And we have two youth scholarships! We offer $12,000 in cash and prizes plus another $12,000 in cash and prizes for our Elite Professionals (those who have served as clinicians in previous Bluebonnet Horse Expos or have placed in the top 3 in the pro division in previous Challenges). This year assignments are made in March-May and the competition is October 3 during the Bluebonnet Horse Expo in Taylor, Texas. Rules and application available at https://loom.ly/UqqKLAg Why should professionals participate? Professional trainers who compete get promoted on our website, social media accounts, and at the event. When we need to send a horse to a professional trainer outside the Challenge where we pay the trainer, we give preference to previous Challenge competitors. We also recommend professional trainers when an adopter needs a trainer. Many Challenge trainers have seen a boost in their business, have formed new business relationships, and have made friends by being part of the Challenge. Why should non-pros/amateurs compete? You'll be making a difference in the life of your Challenge horse: you learn about what they like, what they don't like, and what they know. Those things help us find them the right adopter match. By taking photos and videos of your foster horse and talking about him/her on social media (we set up Facebook pages for each horse), you can help him catch the eye of his perfect person. You can challenge yourself to grow and learn alongside your Challenge horse. You can also meet other horse people in your area, make new friends, and find someone new to ride with - or at least gush about how much you love horses. If the word competition makes you nervous: While the event is a competition, it is the most supportive competition I've ever seen. Professionals help non-pros with problems, non-pros help each other, and everyone cheers each other on. This is your year - come be part of the Challenge. Change a horse's life, change an adopter's life, and change your own life - all for the better. Rules and application available at https://loom.ly/UqqKLAg

Bluebonnet Horse Expo & Rescue Horse Training Challenge️ 3 days ago

Another Challenge post today - If you've been in the Challenge before, I would love to hear your favorite Challenge memories, what you've learned, or friendships you've made. What makes the Challenge special to you? The photo is of me and Tocho at the Challenge years ago. I couldn't compete since I run the rescue, but I decided that since Tocho didn't get assigned to anyone I would work with him as if we were going to be in the Challenge and I ended up showing him off (in hand) during the Challenge but not being judged. I did this again a few years later with a weanling, Lucky Charm, but didn't show her off because she did not cope well with being at the event. With both Tocho and Lucky Charm, I learned so much in preparing for the Challenge. I figured out how to work through some training problems and I finished the three months (the Challenge was shorter then) feeling like I had made a difference in their training and that I was a better horse person for it. It was an amazing experience - and I didn't get to have the benefits of winning prizes or being able to make friends and go to events alongside other Challenge participants. It was really an awesome experience. And there's still time for you to join us.

Bluebonnet Horse Expo & Rescue Horse Training Challenge️ 4 days ago

I was working on the Training Challenge today and was thinking that I could adequately put into words how much the Challenge means. Not just to me, but to the horses who get help during the Challenge, to the adopters who get to adopt Challenge horses, and to the people who get to participate. When I say this event changes lives, it really odes. We've got Challenge graduates who have gone on to become show horses, working horses, kids' horses, trail horses - just about everything. And most importantly, Challenge graduates have gone on to be part of families, loved and cherished. We've had participants who have grown up in the Challenge. They started competing in hand as little kids and just get better and better every year. We have families working together to help Challenge horses, spouses engaged in friendly competition, siblings cheering each other on, and friends helping each other. We've got barns with multiple students competing together. We've seen trainers who got their start in the non-pro division of the Challenge go on to become pros. I think just about anything is possible with the Challenge. Participants help each other out, cheer each other on, and problem solve together. And this year, we went from not having enough horses for the professional division to having more horses than we have trainers in the pro division and the non-pro under saddle division. And we always have more horses for the in hand divisions. So, if you haven't signed up yet, there's still time. You can become part of something amazing.

Bluebonnet Horse Expo & Rescue Horse Training Challenge️ 6 days ago

I love the Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge. I love that the horses in the Challenge get the training that helps them find adopters. I love that we have all these amazing folks who devote themselves to helping these horses. Watching the training progress is amazing and my heart swells when the horses get adopters and go home with excited families. We are constantly working to improve the Challenge, and this year we added the Elite Professional Division. This division is for professionals who have placed well in previous Challenges or who have donated their time as clinicians in previous Expos. Our Inaugural Elite Divisuion this year currently have five Challenge/horse pairs (and we will still accept applications for this division). I’m looking forward to getting to know more about these horses as the Challenge progresses! We’ll be creating their Facebook pages before too long so you can also follow along. Meet the 2026 Elite Professionals: Maddison Amason with BEHS 1584 (Name pending). Maddison’s horse came to us Friday from a neglect case – so he’s brand new to the rescue! He was gelded after arriving and is getting some time now to adjust to gelding life and gain weight. Maddison trains horses at Twisted M Stables in Magnolia, Texas. She’s placed: 2025 Challenge: 1st overall with Bowie, 2024 Challenge: 1st overall with Spruce, 2023 Challenge: 2nd overall with Bowie, 2022 Challenge: 2nd overall with JoJo. Jeremiah Bowen with Aurora. Aurora is a five year old, Appaloosa (unregistered) mare who came to us in 2023 as a rescue transfer, was adopted, and then returned last week due to her adopter’s health. Jeremiah trains horses, alongside his wife Megan, at SpiritHorse Horsemanship School in Castroville, Texas. He’s placed in the 2025 Challenge: 2nd Overall with Saffire, 2021 Challenge: 3rd overall with G. Rose, and had many individual class placings and wins over the past several years. His children have also participated in the Challenge, and this year he’ll be participating alongside wife Megan and daughter Chloe. Brittany Harley with BEHS 1579 (Name pending). Brittany’s horse recently came to us as part of a neglect case, so she got her a bit early so she could focus on weight gain. She’s a four year old, dark bay, grade mare. Brittany trains horses in Manor, Texas. She’s participated in a previous Challenge with Toby but had to withdraw due to an injury and her dad adopted Toby. She’s placed in 2021 Spring Challenge: 2nd overall with Reta’s Bailey and had individual class placings with Ruby Red in 2024. Haley Lancaster with BEHS 1565 (Name pending). Haley’s Challenge horse is a teenage, Paso gelding who came to us as a transfer from another rescue late last year. Haley trains horses at Emerald Equestrian in Boyd, Texas. Last year was her first year in the Challenge and she placed 3rd overall with Nimbus. This year, she’s recruited some students to participate in the in hand division. Cara Schroeder with Liesel. Liesel is a ten year old, Holsteiner cross mare who recently came to us. Cara is a trainer with Fish Creek Ranch in Emory, Texas. She’s placed 2024 Challenge: 2nd overall with Jerry Lee and 5th overall with Robbie (who she got late when another trainer had to withdraw), 2023 Challenge: 1st overall with Glinda, 2022 Challenge: 3rd overall with McCrae. Cara’s mom and kids also participate in the Challenge and are all signed up to get horses this year. We'll be assigning horses for the Professional division over the next week or so and the Non Pro and in Hand Division starts in a few more weeks. There's still time to get your applications in and be part of the 2026 Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge Crew!

Bluebonnet Horse Expo & Rescue Horse Training Challenge️ 2 weeks ago

It feels weird to say that we have space in the rescue... but we do, for the right horse(s). We're working on assignments for the Professional Division of the Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge today and tomorrow, and we find ourselves in the awesome position of having more applications than we have horses (and we'll keep taking applications because we've never had a problem finding horses in the past). So, if you are a rescue with an abundane of horses, or a Texas horse owner who needs to place a horse, this post is for you. We're looking for sound horses between the ages of 4 and 15 who are halter broke but not broke to ride. They'll need to have a current, negative Coggins test and if they're coming from outside of Texas, they'll also need current vaccinations and a health certificate. If they're coming from outside of Texas, you'll have to arrange transport. We'll pick up horses transferred to us in Texas. If we take a horse in for the Challenge, you'll be transferring that horse to us - meaning the horse becomes our horse, we'll pick where he/she goes for the Challenge, we'll monitor things, we'll screen the adopters, we'll screen the foster homes if the horse isn't adopted at the Challenge, and the adoption fee will go to us. The horse will become part of Bluebonnet, and we take our commitment seriously. In past years, we've taken in horses from several animal shelters and other rescues as transfers, and they've gotten the training they need to find adopters. If you have questions or think you might want to transfer something to us, please email jenn@bluebonnetequine.org and we can chat. We love having partnerships with other agencies - you never know when we might all need to work together on a neglect case, disaster relief, or something else.

Bluebonnet Horse Expo & Rescue Horse Training Challenge️ 2 weeks ago

Calling Texas Donkey Lovers! Did you know you could be part of the Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge? We have a donkey in the rescue now plus a few who would like to come to the rescue and all of them are great candidates for the Training Challenge! You can compete in hand with a donkey (I don't htink we have any big enough to ride right now) or train one to drive (if that's your thing). Being part of the Challenge gives them the skills to find adopters and lets you be part of a great event (and earn prizes). More info at https://www.bluebonnetequine.org/challenge/