Don West has been a professional horseman for over forty years. He's been a breeder, trainer, teacher, speaker/clinician, author, promoter, and equine product designer. For the past thirty years he's been specializing in Peruvian Paso, Paso Fino, and all the other naturally gaited horse breeds. Over the past decade, traveling from coast to coast, billed as "America's Favorite Pleasure-Trail Riding Clinician", Don performed at all the major horse fairs and expos around the country. Not just another "clinician", Don is an "equine success coach", your learning leader for equine adventure. Don is also a nationally known and respected expert on saddle fit, basic training for trail riding, back country horse travel, and low impact horse camping.

Don has a lifelong history with horses, a passion for teaching, and a deep love for the out-of-doors. He's a trained and accomplished experiential educator. He has a B.S. degree from Penn State U. in Outdoor Recreation Education, and did his Masters work in transformational counseling at South West College in Santa Fe, N.M. His saying, "A comfortable horse is a happy horse, and a happy horse makes for a happy rider." sums up his basic, straight forward, no-nonsense, easy to understand approach to basic horsemanship and training for trail riding. 

 Don invites you to "Come Ride With Me!" at West Gait Equine Learning Center near Fruita, Co. Learn what Don calls "horse handling-horse sense", "sit-down equitation", and "synergistic-synchronistic riding", or ride the beautiful, breathtaking, rim-rock canyon country. You can ride Don's Paso-Pleasure Gaited Trail Horses, his own breed of naturally gaited horses, created by crossing his pure blood Peruvian Paso mares with his Mountain Pleasure Horse stallion, Paul's Hardcopy, "Big Red", or you can bring your own horse(s). 

Don is the co-owner, product designer, and field tester for Have Saddle-Will Travel, Inc., the INNOVATIVE OUTFITTER  for people who were "Born To Ride!". He's the creator of the Don West Saddles and Tack, "the sit-down saddles with the fit built in... not added on", designed for today's Peruvian Paso, Paso Fino, and naturally gaited horses. Don is also the designer of the Saddlebag Softwear Systems, a line of Cordura™ saddlebags, packs and riding accessories, "bringing backpacking technology to horse packing equipment", and Storm Riders, weather beating outerwear; "classic western designs in today's hi-tech fabrics".

 Don's work with Boston University, the Colorado Outward Bound School, the Verde Valley School, Pecos River Learning Center, Four Corners Center For Experimental Learning, and other outdoor education programs, personal growth and enhanced communication seminars, and horse-handling skills spans over fifty years. Don is an Eagle Scout, served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and for five years was Town Marshal in Crested Butte, Colorado, where he also spent three seasons  as a working cowboy. Besides horsemanship, in his younger years he has also taught hiking, biking, skiing, camping, backpacking, rock-climbing, mountaineering, river rafting, and nature education.

Don is an author, poet, and cowboy philosopher. His articles have appeared regularly in many well-known horse magazines and equine publications. He's the author of four books, the award winning "Have Saddle, Will Travel, Low-Impact Trail Riding and Horse Camping", "Paca, Paca A Sure Cure For The Trots (Everything You Wanted To Know About Peruvian Paso Horses, But Didn't Know Who To Ask)", and his latest book  "Horse Handling-Horse Sense™: A Practical Guide for Today's Pleasure-Trail Riders (especially for naturally gaited horse riders)." For those who like cowboy poetry he wrote "Lessons in Life, Love and Learning - Selected Poems by Don West" . 

Here's a little sample of Don's poetry:

FOLLOW THE TRAIL OF THE COWBOYS

Ya' know it's hard to express in a poem, the emotions that come to a man,

when your pony ya' straddle, sittin' tall in the saddle,

 and ya' take up the reins in your hand.

Ya' connect with your old childhood heroes, ya' commune with the earth and the sky,

time seems to stand still, yea' it's more than a thrill,

 it can bring a tear to your eye.

'Cause ya' know then what's really important, and you're right where you're wantin' to be,

when ya' ride out alone, the whole World is your home,

 and your spirit soars high and flies free.

So, if you're heedin' the call to adventure, and you're able to follow my lead,

then go saddle your horse, and ride the one sure-fire course,

 that takes ya' to what ya' most need.

Go follow the trail of the cowboys, and the others who rode out before,

with a good horse beneath ya', your cares can't defeat ya',

 and like an eagle your spirit will soar! D.W.

                            So, Saddle Up-Let's Ride! Happy Trails! Don West

Last Updated: May, 2011