About us
A Cowboy & A Cowgirl
From two different walks of life, have come together and combined talents and skill to create a business for ourselves, our customers, our partners and to preserve the American Buffalo by offering the best in genetics for quality Buffalo and the finest in buffalo meat products. We are eager to share our knowledge and learn from others in the Bison industry as well. It is an Awesome Healthy business to be in and we are damn proud to be a part of this American tradition. We provide numerous services to our customers and partners and offer an opportunity for new ranchers to sell their buffalo at a fair price to us to include in our meat program. We are thankful and appreciative for what we have accomplished and look forward to partnering for even better days forward.
The Next Step was founded by Kimba and Kevin MacRitchie and was the life culmination of Kimba equine enthusiasm, as she focused on devoting her time with horses to ensure people could bond with their horses and help develop riders and horses to their fullest potential. Today we celebrate the life of Kimba with not only Kevin remaining on staff as a trainer, but it has grown into a family business with each of our kids, fully trained by Kimba, continuing Kimba’s legacy of building bonds between people and horses and producing quality horses for all rider skill sets and ages. Contact us to get the right trainer for you.
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Contact
kevinmacritchie@gmail.com
313-580-6776
9105 Fish Lake Road
Holly, MI 48442
Hours
-Experienced Rancher and Mounted Law Enforcement enforcement Officer
-Earned the rank of Commander, along with Kimba, as only two deputies to earn Commander Rank in Michigan, all as mounted officers
-Tactical specialist on horseback
-Worked horses to move private buffalo herd of over 450 and Custer State Park Herd of 1500 Buffalo for over 35 years
-Competed and won regularly in Speed (Gymkhana) events as an adult
-Significant Trail riding experience averaging over 5,000 miles per year all over the USA
-Ranches in South Dakota and Michigan
-Have led trail excursions in numerous National and State Parks throughout the country
-Training focus:
-Mountain Riding
-Real Trail Riding
-Managing & Herding livestock (Cattle, Buffalo, etc…) from Horseback
-Real Ranch riding like riding and repairing fencing all day
-Obstacle training and horse desensitizing
-Gentling Mustangs for their forever homes
-Youth 4H and Equestrian Team (Speed focused to create calm horses for these events)
– Building confidence in less confident riders
-I believe slow is best, until you have 1,000 hours on your horse at a walk, there is no reason at all to speed things up, having your balance and a positive relationship with your horse FIRST is the most important thing you can ever accomplish as a confident rider and confident partnership with your horse.
-4-H club president
-Shown on and equestrian team for 4 years and competed at the regional and state championships all four years.
-Eq team captain senior year
-Years of Horse show experience in western, showmanship, english(including saddleseat), speed etc..
-2023 recipient of 4-H spark award
– Trained wild mustang
- horse banding and clipping
Lessons offered:
-Beginner
-Horse show (all disciplines besides jumping)
-Obstacles
-People and horses
-Obstacle training
-Mustang training (trained my own 2 horses from the wild)
-Mounted deputy
-Mounted horse training (people and horses)
-Ride everywhere and anywhere in the country
-Equestrian team
-4-H club vice president
-Police week
-MSU fallen hero’s presentation
-Mackinaw bridge walk
-2023 4H Spark Award
-Ranch riding
-Trail riding
-Speed
– Obstacle training and desensitization
– Mustangs
– The lay down
– Jr. Officer of the year
– Mounted deputy
– Mustang tip challenge (burro)
– Burro division Reserved champion
– Training officer horses
– Trail horse hours
-Western riding lessons
– Newbie riding lessons
– Confidence building