The Next Step
The Next Step – Horseplay for Equines is the premier opportunity for horse owners to build their horses confidence with exceptionally experienced trainers who focus on creating successful experiences for each horse and provide the repetition necessary to create a more calm and confident horse.
We focus on the needs of each horse as an individual and work them as individuals and with other experienced horses to expose each horse to new and different things they may experience in real life riding to ensure they understand the successes that are possible. Our simple goal is to create the horse herd mentality between the rider and the horse.
Our experience is diverse and we bring that to each horse and we bring our horses to the effort as well to help teach horses that the herd is dynamic and to follow the lead of the rider knowing that the rider will only ask what is possible and never intentionally put the horse in an uncomfortable position.
If your horse has difficulty crossing water or bridges or does not want to do what you ask of it let us help you. Our experience as professional trainers for law enforcement horses, livestock herding including buffalo from horseback, and extreme trail riding all over the country has led us together to create and recreate these same conditions at both our Holly, Michigan and Custer, South Dakota ranches
We take horses for as little as 14 days and for as long as 120 days. We work with your horse daily to build the confidence it may lack to respond to your “ask”.
Let us help your horse be more confident so you can too.
Call us for reservations and pricing.
Confidence Training
We focus on building your horses exposure, confidence and trust.
The three principal elements to safe and enjoyable riding.
Transport
If you need something as simple as hauling your horse to and from an event, or all the way across the country we can help. If your horse just won’t load in a trailer, we can help there to. Contact us anytime for current rates and to schedule your horse transportation needs.
Our Founders
Kimba and Kevin MacRitchie
“Our goal is to accomplish this in a calm and safe manner so as new obstacles and experiences get introduced, the herd of the two become one in their trust of each other”
Our Trainers
The Next Step was founded by Kimba and Kevin MacRitchie and was the life culmination of Kimba’s 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.
Kevin
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.
- 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
Caitlyn
- 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
Seth
- 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
Nathailya
- 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
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Contact
kevinmacritchie@gmail.com
313-580-6776
248-404-5647
9105 Fish Lake Road
Holly, MI 48442