Les Vogt
If you have some time, visit Les Vogt’s biography page to read about his enviable life and career with horses. He has gone from rodaaayo’in to winning 15 World Champion Reining and Working Cow Horse titles…let me say that again; it’s just so great – FIFTEEEEEEEN! I have a little hero worship going on with Mr. Vogt because he’s the kind of horse person that I hope to be someday. And I get to say that cause this is my blog. 
Did I also mention that he’s in the Hall of Fame now?
Career highlights and current activities (quoted directly from his site):
Les Vogt is one of the horse world’s premier trainers, teachers, and innovators. He has won 15 World Champion Reining and Working Cow Horse titles, as well as countless other championships. As a teacher and clinician, Les lectures extensively in the United States, Canada, Australia, and western Europe.
His clinics welcome both professional and non-pro students, and every clinic is tailored for the participants. Using a combination of lecture, demonstration, and practice drills, as well as show simulations, Les’ two-day clinics draw rave reviews and repeat students.
Quote from his site
After almost 40 years working with horses, I’ve figured out a few things. Mostly, I’ve learned that horses aren’t so different than people. They can frustrate us, deceive us, and disappoint us, but they should never make us mad. As with humans, every interaction with a horse is a negotiation, and if you learn to negotiate, you’ll get more done with less effort- I can’t make a horse or person do anything, but I can sure make them wish they had! And, like people, horses do best what they do easiest. Life is much more pleasant when I remember that horses and people are after the same things- good food, good times, a meaningful job, and comfortable companions.
Web sites
www.lesvogt.com
www.cowhorseu.com
If you’ve attended any of Les Vogt’s clinics or have used any of his training DVDs or products and would like to leave some feedback, Leave a Reply and click Submit Comment. Thanks!
I’ll jump in here on the Les Vogt fan club. I got his Cowhorse U program and picked up a whole bunch from it. The techniques and information are some of the best around but what really works for me is Les’s personality. He’s the kinda guy I can relate to. For me, I can see the sincerity and expertise in his teachings and have confidence that what he says is gonna work.
20 Nov 2007 at 8:16 am
I’m brand new to reining. I wasn’t sure how to get started, especially since I didn’t have an instructor. Last summer, during warm up for a team roping event, I saw a man backing his horse in a circle. I’ve been around horses my whole life, but I don’t recall ever seeing that. I asked him about it and he told me about Mr. Vogt’s Cowhorse U.
I agree with Al about Les’s personality. He seems like someone who genuinely wants to teach what he loves. His training methods also promote a friendship between horse and rider, which is extremely important to me.
Why did I blindly trust Les Vogt’s credibility even before I found out he was a Hall of Famer with all those titles? Because of that man who told me it was the best training purchase he’d ever made. And there he was, backing his horse in a perfect circle. That was good enough for me.
The Cowhorse U DVD’s and workbook are great learning tools for me. I need visual aids (DVD’s) and reference materials (workbook) in order to learn. The program comes with a week-by-week training plan too, which I love (even though I’m behind schedule but I think thats ok). I like the camera views in the DVD’s too. I get all the angles I need in order to “get” the exercise he’s teaching.
I’m giving Les Vogt and Linda Bogg’s Cowhorse U a 5 out of 5 stars and two thumbs up.
21 Nov 2007 at 11:46 am