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Home » Interview With Jill Roberson

Interview With Jill Roberson

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I’m excited to bring you a new kind of blog post this week, an interview with a friend of mine, Jill Roberson. She owns and breeds beautiful Tennessee Walkers in NW Arkansas and owns Walking on Boots, where she helps horse owners find and size boots for their horses. She not only raises her own horses, but trains many of them herself. I hope you enjoy this informative and candid interview that includes the ups and downs of breeding horses to learning about the benefits of having your horses be barefoot and riding them in boots.

Jill Roberson
Jill Roberson putting on boots before a trail ride.

How did you get started with horses?

Jill: As far back as I can remember, I’ve always wanted a horse. I grew up on a dairy farm in Illinois and dairy farms are a lot of work. I am the middle child of 7. I’m the only one with the “horse bug”.

When I was 12 years old, I got my first horse, Lady. I knew nothing about horses other than that I always wanted one. I would catch her and ride her around the farm. I remember crying one day because she decided that was enough of that and decided I didn’t get to catch her that day. She was in a big pasture with cows and I learned an important lesson that day. You can’t just catch and ride a horse, then put them back. They need other reasons to be caught.

Growing up, I’d ride that horse everywhere on the farm. Carry a bucket to go catch her, use the bucket to get on her, ride her up to the house, then saddle her and ride her on the 180 acres we had. I had so much fun. She was a good horse to carry around this inexperienced rider. 

Jill Roberson Quote

What are some ups and downs of having your own breeding business?

Jill: Breeding horses has lots of ups and downs. I love it when the buyer of a foal or horse I raised or trained tells me how happy they are with the horse. They send me pictures of the horse as it matures. Then when they get it trained by me or someone else, tell me how great it trained. I really enjoy putting the first rides on a horse I raised. Riding those first of many smooth glides. It just puts a smile on my face and reminds me why I do what I do. I love it when owners tell me how great their horse is that they bought from me.

The downs are obviously when things don’t go as planned. Which any seasoned horse owner knows it’s not if, it’s when. I have lost my share of horses. It never gets easier, and it really makes you reflect. Majority of the time it was just nature, and I had no control. Makes you appreciate more when things go right. Besides, the emotional burden it is also a financial strain. If I didn’t have the ups, I definitely would quit breeding. 

Jill Roberson Trail Riding
Jill Roberson trail riding in the Ozarks.

What is one undervalued training attribute of a good horseman, in your opinion?

Jill: Patience. To be a good trainer, you need to have patience. You can not rush a horse. They will learn and retain better if you allow them to think it through. 

You’ve got some unique colors in your herd. Is that something you’ve worked hard to achieve and is important in breeding?

Jill: Yes, I have some unique colors. While color is important in what I pick, I also make sure the horse also has other characteristics I want too. I want to raise easy to train and smooth riding horses. Color is just icing on the cake.

Jill Roberson mares
Jill Roberson’s Tennessee Walking mares.

You moved away from traditional metal shoes for your horses and now ride your horses in boots. Has that improved your horses’ hooves and performance?

Jill: Yes, I’m so glad I made the switch years ago to do away with metal shoes. I originally made the switch only because my current farrier was doing wrong angles on my horses and I just didn’t like how the hooves were looking. My new farrier is only barefoot. I ride on rocks. No way would I expect my horses to soundly carry me on 30-50 miles on a weekend camping trip without protection.

I ordered many sizes of scoot boots. Because I ride many different horses. Soon, friends got word and would ask me to come over and help them figure out what size they needed. After a while I contacted Scoot boots to become a stockiest for them. After a while I realized every horse is not a good fit for Scoots. So I branched out and began to carry Cavallo, Evo and Flex hoof boots. My website is www.walkingonboots.com. I can size remotely using pictures and video or can size in person if local.

Back to your question. I had a horse I was getting shod. He was rode some but not much. He had a vertical crack in the front of his front hoof. So the shoe was needed to hold that hoof together, right? I thought so, and that was with the advice of the farrier, so he was always shod. The crack never got better. Three years later and I continued to shoe him, hoping the crack would go away. Then, 6 months of being properly trimmed by the barefoot trimmer, that crack left and 2.5 years later is still gone.

The horses’ hooves now function as nature intended without the hindering of a metal shoe. If you ever watch a slow motion video of a barefoot hoof landing, you see that it flexes and changes. It is not solid like a metal shoe. When I watch the videos, the mechanics of the barefoot hoof is very different from the shod hoof. My horses can feel the ground. The shock of a metal shoe is also problematic to see as well.

I get why people shoe their horses. And absolutely it is easier than booting. But also think about that shod horse that pulls a shoe out on the trail will get sore faster than the barefoot horse because that barefoot horse is used to being barefoot. I feel it is better for the horse in the end, especially with the wide variety of boots now available on the market today. A properly fitted boot will function even better than a metal shoe. 

Jill Roberson riding in boots
Jill Roberson riding one of her beautiful TN Walking horses in boots.

Your website says you try to produce gentle horses that require little training to get them to gait under saddle. How do you go about that?

Jill: Gait is both breed in them and trained. If you teach your horse to be relaxed but not lazy, you can get a good gait. If you teach them to be worried or excited and have them hollow out their back, they will not gait correctly. I want a horse to be comfortable for me and for them. I really enjoy Ivy Glide Gait’s way of training a horse to be relaxed. I also ensure both parents’ gait naturally. To produce gentle once again goes back to parents’ bloodlines and temperament and just as much goes back to the owner/handler.

Jill Roberson filly
Jill Roberson filly.

You also say that Tennessee Walkers are a versatile breed. How so?

Jill: I’ve seen Tennessee Walkers be used for endurance, pleasure trail riding, show ring, working cattle, jumping, and they are gentle enough to give kids rides around at the house. They might not win any metals at barrel racing compared to quarter horses, but they can still try. Whatever you want to train your walker to do, they can do.  

You recently joined your local chapter of Back Country Horseman of America. What are some of the main objectives of the BCHA and would you encourage others to join their own local chapter?

Jill: Back Country Horsemen of America is a nation-wide organization. It is committed to protecting the access of equestrians to public lands. We work with forest and park rangers to get permission to work on trails.

If you don’t use it, you lose it. And unfortunately trails have trees fall, trails don’t get maintained due to government cutbacks, trails don’t get used,  then we will lose them. So we as an organization are working at keeping trails open for the public. Equestrians, bikers, hikers.

If there is a local BCHA chapter next to you, please join. Even if you don’t want to be out clearing trails, there are other aspects of the chapter you can help with. For example, food prep for the workers, newsletter writing, getting the word out about the chapter at local events, fundraising, grant writing and just being a voice and member help the community. Of course I encourage you to get out and work but I also understand not everyone can.  

Jill Roberson upcoming stud
Jill Roberson’s upcoming stud.

If you could give one piece of advice regarding horsemanship, what would it be?

Jill: Easy, think like a horse. If you can think like a horse, then you know why they act like they do and know how you can fix or improve something. 

A huge thank you to Jill Roberson for agreeing to this interview. If you’d like more information regarding her horses, the horse boots she carries, or the Back Country Horseman of America, then please use the links below. I encourage you to read more about the BCHA because our local chapter here doesn’t just aid in clearing public lands. They recently started helping a veteran owned equine center and helping clear their trails.

Jill’s Tennessee Walking Horses: http://www.arkansaswalkers.com/

Arkansas Walkers Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/arkansaswalkers

Horse Boots: https://www.walkingonboots.com/

Backcountry Horseman of America: https://www.bcha.org/

Backcountry Horseman of NW Arkansas: https://www.bchnwa.org/

Thank you for being here! If you’d like to stick around, then please join my email list. You can stay up to date on each new blog post. (All photos featured on this post are credited to Jill Roberson from Arkansas Walkers Facebook page.)

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Rachel
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Comments

  1. Merrilee McDonald says

    March 9, 2022 at 6:49 am

    This made me really want a horse! I love the insights and the new knowledge of horse boots! Boots make so much more sense to me.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      March 9, 2022 at 6:23 pm

      Yes, I’m considering going this route for my own horse too.

      Reply

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I recently had the opportunity to listen to a prof I recently had the opportunity to listen to a professional horse trainer speak. At the end he opened it up for a Q&A. A few of the riders wondered how to ‘fix’ the problem of their horse taking off before they are fully mounted and ready. It’s a bad habit for a horse to have. Not to mention unsafe for the rider. But he had a great point, he said, “I’ve seen it happen with colts even after a few rides. No habit was formed they just want to take off.” The practical advice he gave was spot on. Suggesting they start over each time their horse takes a step before they are ready. And to also pause at the mounting block taking a few moments to just pet your horse. 
When reflecting later on about what he said my mind went to the Lord and how He asks us to wait. The Lord is ready to go with us, but we are trying to take off before He is ready. Therefore, He’s gives a, “whoa.” Putting a pause on our plans or making things a bit more difficult for us. 
For reasons only He can know does He ask us to wait. Maybe things haven’t fully aligned yet to accomplish His plan. Maybe He is growing our character. 
Just like the trainer said it’s in our nature to be in a hurry and ready to go. No one had to teach us to be this way. But rather, we must learn to wait. God always has something to teach us in the waiting period. 
I know He has great and wonderful things up ahead on the trail for us to see and do, but we must go when He is ready. Let us sit still for a minute while He pets on us and reassures us that everything is okay. 
He will let us know when the time is right. He will give the signal. But learn to wait. Take pleasure in it. By waiting we are doing God a great honor. We all want that horse that doesn’t take a step without the rider’s prompting. Let’s stand firm for the Lord. 
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I was trying to roll the ball under him. Something I was trying to roll the ball under him. Something I do with my other horse, but Mathias being only 14 hands, it didn't quite fit. 
I work him completly at liberty. Therefore, he could've ran off. But instead he ran a short distance and turned and faced the ball and me again. Showing great bravery by standing his ground as the scary object continued to advance towards him.
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I heard this recently, and I thought about the mos I heard this recently, and I thought about the most profound moments I’ve experienced in my life, and they aren’t the ones you typically celebrate, but they’ve been so profound that they will stick with me forever.

The day my daughter was born, she also died in my arms. I will remember and hold this moment forever in my heart. It was beautiful. It was painful. It was life changing.

Fast forward a week to the day of her funeral. I lay in bed crying out to God. How do I do this? I decided to put worship music on. I found myself with arms raised, worshiping God amidst the most painful time in my life. That moment, that feeling will remain with me the rest of my life. I was so grateful for the gift of having a beautiful baby girl. But was devastated at the loss of her. Pain and joy mingle in the strangest ways sometimes.

This moment on my horse I am wearing a skirt that has been worn by countless other women all over the world who have experienced such a loss. It is beautiful, but it represents pain and loss. But so much more than that. Though we have scars, we are fighting the good fight. We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us!

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God, I can’t wait to see how you are going to answer this!

Because the truth of the matter is God is in the business of answering prayers. He even delights in it.

I tell you what, pray, and keep praying because if God doesn’t answer right away, He is strengthening your faith muscle.

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As some of you may know this little guy came up lame last fall. The diagnosis was an OCD lesion. Which I was told required surgery. Not being familiar with this condition I came across a supplement called OCD Pellets during my research. I decided to start him on that while we saved for the surgery. I began to notice improvement more and more. He wasn't limping at all anymore. I took him in Friday to have him x-rayed again and to my delight he showed 50% improvement in 3 months. 
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