It’s All About The Horses

By Becky Maxedon

Havasu Horseback Rides, LLC owner Jenna Cobb got her first horse when she was in middle school, after entering a riding school when she was 8.

“It was never a phase, it was an obsession that grew,” Cobb said.

By the time she was in high school, she had three horses and started riding outside horses in college.

“At one point, I had up to 15 horses in training by the time I was 19,” she said.

“While I still had a lot to learn, doing the job correctly was my number-one goal so I read a lot of books on training horses and watched videos and went to clinics.” Cobb also attended school to study equine management.

Cobb said she learned a lot working on feedlots and ranches, watching what the other hands did to make their horses ride around and work cattle.

Jenna Cobb rounds a barrel./Photo courtesy of Havasu Horseback Rides LLC

“I grew up running barrels and made it to the National Barrel Horse Association World Finals and placed well on a friend’s horse,” she said.

Horses have continued to be the focus of Cobb’s life.

“I continued some with rodeo but mostly ended up doing cow work and ranch work for about 10 years. I then ended up buying and selling horses after working long days in the feed yard took its toll and I sold and trained horses for myself as well as for others and did well,” she said.

Jenna Cobb and Linda Thrasher off on a ride./Photo courtesy of Havasu Horseback Rides LLC

After spending some time in Texas honing her skills with performance horses, solo select horses and more, she learned a lot overall about the industry and what could be accomplished in the horse world.

And in May, Cobb’s new chapter began when she opened Havasu Horseback Rides LLC.

“At our facility, we offer from the ground up riding lessons where both kids and adults learn all there is to know about horses.

Anna Cobb hones her roping skills./Photo courtesy of Havasu Horseback Rides LLC

“They learn everything from catching a horse, brushing, saddling and of course, riding as well as basic care and other useful information to help them achieve their goals and possibly one day own a horse,” she said.

Kids in the riding program eventually build up to a point of competing and enter local gymkhanas at SARA Park Rodeo Grounds.

“This is a series of speed events where kids earn ribbons and at the end of the year, can win a buckle or even a saddle. This helps push everyone to work harder each month and try to beat their own times and work on improving their horsemanship skills,” Cobb said of the program.

While Havasu is hot in the summer, Havasu Horseback Rides LLC offers early morning, beginner-level summer camps to help get kids started with a solid foundation in basic groundwork and some riding.

“The camps are week long, and kids learn how to safely and efficiently catch a horse, learn how to tie, saddle, clean stalls, how to feed, check waters, bathe, and get the early stages of riding as well.

From left, Audrina Slater, Shea Meyer, Madelyn Copenhaver and Kadence Copenhaver display their awards. Kneeling, Jenna Cobb./Photo courtesy of Havasu Horseback Rides LLC

“By the end of the week, we hold a small competition and hand out ribbons to the winners. Our competitions include a stall-cleaning race, end-of-barrel race, tying challenge, and we finish it off with a water balloon toss to keep everyone cool,” she said.

While programs specialize in barrel racing and basic horsemanship, Havasu Horseback Rides LLC also offers learning how to move cattle and getting started with roping.

“Other than lessons, we also offer trail rides to the public and allow volunteers to come out and lend a hand if they’d like,” she said.

Havasu Horseback Rides LLC is located at 4019 Lakeview Road.

For more information about all the programs, lessons and trail rides offered, visit the Facebook page at Havasu Horseback Rides, LLC.