Joe Midgley
For the last 10 years, Joe Midgley has been travelling the UK and internationally working with horses and riders of all levels. Joe teaches people how to communicate with horses, how to read their emotions and intent in order to overcome problems or improve performance. Horses are incredibly gifted in telling us what they want, but it is up to us to learn to listen.
Joe has worked and competed all over the world, studying with some of the best horsemen and women of our generation.
Today, Joe travels the UK performing demonstrations, clinics and private lessons. You may also find him at some larger events.
Joe has been recognised as one of the UK's leading horsemen, specifically in the fields of educating young horses, helping the troubled horse and as an authority on the traditions of the classical Vaquero and Buckaroo.
Joe started his own business at 19, when he returned from the showdown. Working at a number of places and getting involved with various disciplines in the English riding world. Most notably, Joe started all the Warmbloods at Bramley Stud in 2015, before they went into training for Grand Prix with the Moody's. Joe also had horses compete at the British Dressage national championships and the Great Yorkshire show.
In 2016 Joe began working at Oakridge Quarter Horses and became assistant trainer at the world class facility. Whilst at Oakridge Joe trained, and showed several top quality show horses in the sport of reining under the guidance of Lee Rutter. Joe learned a great deal about western competition and the world of showing during this year, and is ever grateful to Lee for sharing his knowledge of the sport.
In and amongst various trips to the US and working in the UK Joe met Buck Brannaman. Joe and Buck spoke at length on various topics within horsemanship and after that, Joe began to pursue advancement within the traditions of the buckaroo style of horsemanship. Joe attended every Buck Brannaman clinic he could moving forward. The most significant part of this style is building a foundation of trust and respect that really gets a horse on the pay roll. Joe looks at not just getting a horse to do a job, but to get them passionate about that job!
In 2022 Joe passed the exam and became a WES instructor. This means he is a certified clinician under the Western Equestrian Society and can run affiliated clinics. In 2023 Joe taught alongside his old mentor Lee Rutter at the WES National camp.
