Jared and Cara Penley operate Penley Horsemanship, a 37-stall training facility in Salem, Ohio. The pair specializes in performance horse training for the sport of Cowboy Mounted Shooting. Jared specializes in starting and foundational work for horses of all breeds and disciplines, sells quality mounted shooting horses, and is a clinician and coach of horsemanship and mounted shooting. Cara specializes in coaching, lessons, and clinics for mounted shooting and horsemanship.
Jared and Cara are the only trainers in the sport of Cowboy Mounted Shooting, both competing at the highest level of Open Level 6 shooters. The team has accrued many titles across the country, including Jared's top 3 finish at the 2021 Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association National Championships, Men's Reserve finish at the 2021 Appalachian Championships, and Cara's ranking in the top 10 world standings for ladies overall points in 2021. Additionally, both Cara and Jared serve on the board of the CMSA Futurity, Derby, and Stallion Incentive Program, which is in its 5th year.
Tell us about your business:
"We pride ourselves in training and sales of well-rounded horses with strong foundational work to excel beyond their time with us. Our program also emphasizes riders learning good horsemanship techniques to communicate with their horse effectively. You need both components to create a successful partnership. We gravitated towards the sport of cowboy mounted shooting as it is a speed event requiring well-trained performance horses and a knowledgeable rider to excel. As you move up the levels of competition, horsemanship becomes more important. There are over 80 shooting patterns producers pull from with a random draw at each competition.
We have a passion for training young horses. We feel very strongly that the future of the sport is in the CMSA Futurity and Stallion Incentive Program. The event is for four-year-old horses in their first year of competition. Our sale program provides safe horses on the trail, good versatility, and proficient cattle work. Horses stay in our program for 6-9 months, with many staying with us for 1-2 years.
We also have a passion for people. We are a business that strives to give riders the confidence they need to achieve their goals. Those goals can include strengthening their horsemanship skills, mental strategy, or just having an opportunity to have fun with their horse. In addition, we want to create a welcoming atmosphere at our facility and at competitions that encourage learning and growth."
Why do you use Poulin Grain?
"We've been using Equi-Pro Promax 12:12 for years for our horses in heavy work for training and competition. We love that Poulin provides a pelleted grain with a high-fat content without being extruded or a sweet feed. The higher fat content helps maintain a good weight and excellent coat condition and provides what we call 'cool energy' for our horses. This product provides energy without creating a fast-minded or 'hot' horse. It doesn't change their personality or mental engagement.
We also use E-TEC One and E-TEC Balancer for horses needing more weight management. EQUI-PRO Calorie Plus is a favorite if more fat and calories are required. It's palatable and sticks to the grain easily, so it's not messy or wasted.
We use Poulin Grain because it works – people comment on the horse's condition and how quiet-minded they are all the time. We're running at top speed, and our horses are walking in and out of the arena. It has to do with our training and their nutrition program contributing to that quiet mindset and willingness. We notice such a difference with the feed- no product on the market compares.
Poulin has also been a great resource in guiding our clients through nutritional recommendations and understanding the overall impact of nutrition on the horse's health and performance."
