Videos

Everyone has his story, here is mine in videos

First time I can remeber being horseback was at the age of 4. I was sitting on the back of a horse, whilest my grandfather was driving a small coach, more a small wagon with a small horse in front. It wasn’t riding, just sitting horseback. My grandfather used to opperate big coaches for transporting goods back in the days. I grew up listening to his stories about the big draft horses and his work for farms and in quarries. Later in my childhood, I tried to get every opportunity to get on horses, even just for a small ride in a western town nearby. It wasn’t constantly, just every now and then. The ‚how to ride a horse‘ part started when I was already an adult. How to sit, how to use leg and rein aids … I started with english style riding and changed after a couple years to western style. The first horse I ever owned was a young stallion somewhere beginning in the 2020th. The second, a stallion as well, just a few months later ‚Ben‘ a paint horse. After an expirience with a horse trainer starting him for a few weeks, I decided to do it my own. Thats how it all startet.

I was always interessted in gaining knowledge about horses and this is an ongoing process.

Learning about horses will never be over in my life

(different pictures since I started as a professional since 2008)

Die erste Erinnerung daran auf einem Pferd zu sitzen war im Alter von 4 Jahren. Mein Großvater fuhr eine kleine Kutsche und ich sass auf dem Pferd vorne. Das war noch kein Reiten, nur drauf sitzen. Mein Großvater erzählte viele Geschichten aus seinem Leben als Kutscher, er arbeitete auf Höfen und in Steinbrüchen mit Kaltblütern. Später in meiner Kindheit nutzte ich jede Gelegenheit auf ein Pferd zu kommen. Auch wenn es nur in der nahegelegenen Westernstadt Plech für eine kurze Zeit war. Der ‚Wie reitet man ein Pferd‘ Teil startete erst als ich bereits erwachsen war. Wie man sitzt, Bein- und Zügelhilfen benutzt… ich startete mit Englisch Reiten und wechselte nach ein paar Jahren zu Western. Das erste eigene Pferd war ein junger Hengst irgendwann Anfangs der 2020er. Das Zweite, ebenfalls ein Hengst, kam bereits wenige Monate später ‚Ben‘ ein Paint Horse Hengst. Nach einer Erfahrung mit einem Pferdetrainer, der ihn für mich innerhalb ein paar Wochen gestartet hatte, beschloss ich die weitere Ausbildung des Pferdes selber zu machen. So fing alles an.

Ich war immer interessiert daran mehr über Pferde zu lernen und das ist ein immer noch anhaltender Prozess.

Das Lernen über Pferde wird für mich nie zu Ende sein.

(die Bilder sind ein Einblick in meine professionelle Arbeit seit 2008)

Markus Linse Horsemanship - Reise Journalist - travel journalist - Old Californio - Altkalifornische Reitweise - Bosal - Hackamore - Spade Bit - Straight Up in the Bridle - Horsemanship Bayern - Bavarian Horsemanship - Ray Hunt - Tom Dorrance - Bill Dorrance - Horsemanship by Feel
Insight into a working session with ‚Jimi‘, 4.5 year old Quarter Horse gelding. His real name is not of interest. Jimi is his nick´name, cause one day Jimi Hendrix was on the radio in the arena and he seemed to like his music 😉
He is here at my working place since midth of October. Kicked his owner with intention direction belly, broke the arm of the owner.
Has been started as a 2 year old, won a big competion as a 3 year old. (Owner is a private person, bought him half a year ago) Too much in not enough time for mind and body, for my opinion.
Some of the problems where; headset much too low for his conformation, no shoulder control, no hindend control, bucked a few times, …
He is such a nice fella. I can feel and see how he is more and more working with me with an open mindset. I love my job, when they open up again and you get em out of their hiding place 😊
He is not a problem horse at all! Just a few little small corrections necessary.
Markus Linse Horsemanship - Reise Journalist - travel journalist - Old Californio - Altkalifornische Reitweise - Bosal - Hackamore - Spade Bit - Straight Up in the Bridle - Horsemanship Bayern - Bavarian Horsemanship - Ray Hunt - Tom Dorrance - Bill Dorrance - Horsemanship by Feel

A sample of insights into my work with horses 2024

Markus Linse Horsemanship - Reise Journalist - travel journalist - Old Californio - Altkalifornische Reitweise - Bosal - Hackamore - Spade Bit - Straight Up in the Bridle - Horsemanship Bayern - Bavarian Horsemanship - Ray Hunt - Tom Dorrance - Bill Dorrance - Horsemanship by Feel
How to ty a mecate to a bosal. One possibility to do this.
Markus Linse Horsemanship - Reise Journalist - travel journalist - Old Californio - Altkalifornische Reitweise - Bosal - Hackamore - Spade Bit - Straight Up in the Bridle - Horsemanship Bayern - Bavarian Horsemanship - Ray Hunt - Tom Dorrance - Bill Dorrance - Horsemanship by Feel
Australia 2022
When the corona pandemic was over, I had a gap in my work with horses.
The feel was still there, but not as it used to be.
So I asked a collegue, Stephen Halfpenny, if he would give me the chance to work for him for a couple months. To get back into business.
His wife Irena and him where a bit confused about this at the beginning. They thought: ‚What does he want here. He is working with horses. Normally we only get newbys.‘ But finally they gave me the chance to get back into it. As you might know, the longer you are out of this, the more you need to get back into it.
So these to friendly people gave me the chance to get back on the track.
I am very thankful for this opportunity. I had the chance to learn new skills from Stephen, I do appreciate that.
Stehen is a good horseman. Both of them are outstanding horse people. So I could take the chance and learn and work with him and his wife Irena.
I had my own colts to start and afterwards the next job on a ranch called Sunset Ranch Brushgrove in New South Wales, Australia.
Markus Linse Horsemanship - Reise Journalist - travel journalist - Old Californio - Altkalifornische Reitweise - Bosal - Hackamore - Spade Bit - Straight Up in the Bridle - Horsemanship Bayern - Bavarian Horsemanship - Ray Hunt - Tom Dorrance - Bill Dorrance - Horsemanship by Feel
A small insight in some horse activities in Hessen Germany 2018
 
Markus Linse Horsemanship - Reise Journalist - travel journalist - Old Californio - Altkalifornische Reitweise - Bosal - Hackamore - Spade Bit - Straight Up in the Bridle - Horsemanship Bayern - Bavarian Horsemanship - Ray Hunt - Tom Dorrance - Bill Dorrance - Horsemanship by Feel
Black Jack, a Quarter Horse stallion at stud in 2014.
This horse was standing in his box 24/7. I worked at the stable as a trainer together with two collegues, Ernst Peter Frey and Sancho Juan Stark. Seldom, but we are still friends after more than 10 years. Still talking and chatting about the good times we had together at Red Stone Creek Ranch in Germany.
Every now and than, someone took the stallion and rode him. Riding lessons, mostly. He was trained as a reining horse.
Had an old injury on a hock, but was still tough and willing.
I regretted his fate. Just standing around and the owner put his mares in front of his box every now and than to have a look if they are in season.
So I finally asked the owner Hans Jäckle if he would allow me to work with him in my spare time. There is no spare time if you work full time with horses.
This video shows the progress in between a couple of weeks.
What a nice willing fella. Still miss his attitude. RIP mate
(There is a bit more behind this story. Years after I brought him into the spade bit, someone told me, this horse can not be ridden in a spade. So I made this video for this guy. Hope you still enjoy what is possiple with feel and without force.)
 
Markus Linse Horsemanship - Reise Journalist - travel journalist - Old Californio - Altkalifornische Reitweise - Bosal - Hackamore - Spade Bit - Straight Up in the Bridle - Horsemanship Bayern - Bavarian Horsemanship - Ray Hunt - Tom Dorrance - Bill Dorrance - Horsemanship by Feel
A trailride in the Bavarian Alps from Germany to Austria in 2012
 
Markus Linse Horsemanship - Reise Journalist - travel journalist - Old Californio - Altkalifornische Reitweise - Bosal - Hackamore - Spade Bit - Straight Up in the Bridle - Horsemanship Bayern - Bavarian Horsemanship - Ray Hunt - Tom Dorrance - Bill Dorrance - Horsemanship by Feel
Namibia 2011, Storm Cloud, crossbred Quarter Horse Namibian Wild Horse
There is a Story behind that horse. This was my second go with him. He kicked a few other guys out of the roundpen, for that he became the nickname Kicker. After two weeks of work, he could be caught slowly from the side with a halter, been led around in the roundpen, stopped when asked and be lunged in both directions on a loose rope. He acceptet a rug on his back and I started touching his feet without getting hurt. I just thought this is the kind of horse who is like that, maybe the bred. A few years later someone told me the story about him. Gelded in a chute where you normaly fix cattle, no anasthasia, the guy – the farm owner –  who did the work, never gelded a horse before. He watched a youtube video ‚how to geld a horse‘ while gelding him. I liked this horse a lot. After hearing this story about him, a lot of things about him became very clear suddenly. My name for him was Storm Cloud. I wish you all the best, wherever you are my friend!
(No one ever tried to work with this horse after I left the Ranch in Namibia. They all where afraid of him. He really was a troubled one. Shame on the ranch owner, to do such a thing to such beautiful horse… The ranch owner wanted to see my qualifications on this horse without telling me the truth …) 
Markus Linse Horsemanship - Reise Journalist - travel journalist - Old Californio - Altkalifornische Reitweise - Bosal - Hackamore - Spade Bit - Straight Up in the Bridle - Horsemanship Bayern - Bavarian Horsemanship - Ray Hunt - Tom Dorrance - Bill Dorrance - Horsemanship by Feel
Namibia 2011, scouting a trail riding adventure for tourists.
In 2011 I thought this is a good idea. But just after arriving at the ranch, nothing was as agreed on the phone.
The agreement was, the ranch owner pays the flights, free accomodation, free meat … I work for him during the stay with a few of his horses. And I scout a trailride for him on his 94.000 ha property.
Back home in Germany, I heared a lot of stories about him and the ranch and decided not to go on doing business with him.
A few years later, in 2018, I made another worse experience with him and his business practices. There will be a longer article about this story in the nearer future on this side, in the web, on several social media platforms and so on.
Stay tuned and wait for it.
Stay your ground! Always.
 
Markus Linse Horsemanship - Reise Journalist - travel journalist - Old Californio - Altkalifornische Reitweise - Bosal - Hackamore - Spade Bit - Straight Up in the Bridle - Horsemanship Bayern - Bavarian Horsemanship - Ray Hunt - Tom Dorrance - Bill Dorrance - Horsemanship by Feel
A video made in 2009 and 2010 in Australia, during my first payed job in the horse industrie.
I worked for Scotty Richo, a so called horse breaker (the description for a colt starter in Australia).
He teached me, believed in me and did let me find my own way.
Markus Linse Horsemanship - Reise Journalist - travel journalist - Old Californio - Altkalifornische Reitweise - Bosal - Hackamore - Spade Bit - Straight Up in the Bridle - Horsemanship Bayern - Bavarian Horsemanship - Ray Hunt - Tom Dorrance - Bill Dorrance - Horsemanship by Feel
A video made in 2009 in Australia, where I began working as a professional with horses.
I visited a Cowboy school where I learned the trade.
– starting young colts
– driving cattle
– mustering
– shoeing horses
– building fences
– fixing and builing your own tack
– fixing wind mills for water supply 
– I wasn’t good in shearing sheep at all
I wanted to be a real cowboy. My first boss suggested, to go on with the horses instead of working on cattle stations.
I am very thankful for this John Wade.
Markus Linse Horsemanship - Reise Journalist - travel journalist - Old Californio - Altkalifornische Reitweise - Bosal - Hackamore - Spade Bit - Straight Up in the Bridle - Horsemanship Bayern - Bavarian Horsemanship - Ray Hunt - Tom Dorrance - Bill Dorrance - Horsemanship by Feel
Alamar Knot Californio Horsemanship