Twenty-one-year-old assistant trainer Lindsey Burleson of Gordonville, Texas, has been a proud Texan for a year and a half. Burleson attended Colorado State University for two years before pursuing her goal of training horses. Burleson currently works for Anthony Leier and specializes in training the yearling longe line horses, both western and hunter.
“Most of my responsibilities include teaching the yearlings how to tie and bathe, working with them, turning horses out, and occasionally feeding,” Lindsey said. “During Spring, it also includes taking care of the many broodmares. I’m fortunate enough to be able to breed a few of them myself.”
Burleson was born and raised in Colorado for the first 19 years of her life. She got involved in horses when she was 13 years old when she began taking jumping lessons at Andersen Farms. From there, Lindsey began to dive into several different avenues in the horse industry and she began showing the all-around when she was 15 years old.
“I was fortunate enough to own my first horse, an 11-year-old paint mare. She taught me the ropes of showing for my first year,” Burleson told us. “After that year, I was able to buy another horse that allowed me to compete at a higher level. She was only four years old at the time, and we were able to grow together for many years.”
We sat down with Burleson to find out more about her background and goals.
GHS: Hi Lindsey. Thanks for sitting down with us. Can you tell us one of your favorite accomplishments?
Burleson: One of my favorite accomplishments was winning rookie of my first year showing in breed shows. It was something I worked super hard for and it was so rewarding. In addition, this last year, I was able to show at a few of the world shows and won reserve twice with Im Slow Blue and top five with Sweet Shade Of Red. It was so rewarding having a hand in training some fantastic horses and being able to show them.
GHS: What well-known horses have you helped train?
Burleson: I have had the pleasure of working with so many talented horses over the years. When working with yearlings, you get to be a part of the beginning of their career and watch them go on and do amazing things. So many of the horses that I have worked with will be debuting in the two-year-old western pleasure this year, as well as the two-year-old hunt seat.
GHS: Who have been some of your most influential mentors?
Burleson: One of my biggest mentors who helped me get to where I am today is John Andersen. He was the first person to introduce me to the industry. I bought both of my horses from him, and he walked me through it every step of the way. He would always allow me to work off lessons and always pushed me to be the best rider possible. He taught me all of the tricks he knew and helped me train my young paint mare. I definitely wouldn’t be where I’m at today without his help. Another significant mentor in my life was Karissa Tapia. When I worked for her, I wasn’t sure if I would train horses as a career, but she encouraged me to go for it. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I would’ve ever taken the leap of moving to Texas to pursue a career in training horses.
GHS: Is there any advice you have for other young trainers?
Burleson:Â Navigating this industry can be difficult, and it has its challenging moments. I would encourage every young trainer to keep working hard toward whatever goal they have set for them. Also, it is always so important to jump on every new opportunity and to try new things. While it can be exhausting at times, it is so worth it.
GHS: What are some of your best memories from showing horses?
Burleson: I love getting to meet so many amazing people. However, most of my favorite memories come from celebrating wins with clients and enjoying the team spirit.
GHS: How did you come about working for Anthony Leier?
Burleson: Two years ago, I was working for a trainer in Colorado. She encouraged me to pursue a career training horses, and I came into contact with Anthony. After a few phone calls, he hired me, and within a few weeks, I had everything packed up and moved to Texas. I’ve loved every second of being here, and I feel so fortunate to be able to work for someone who is so encouraging. When moving to Texas, I had never trained yearlings for the longe line, and it was all so new to me. Anthony was so supportive the entire time I was learning the ropes and was always so encouraging. It was such a confidence booster for me, and it has been such an amazing experience. I was fortunate enough to show my first year, and that is all thanks to Anthony’s encouragement.
GHS: What is something someone might not know about you?
Burleson: Something people probably don’t know about me is it took a while before I started showing the all-around. I jumped for a long time before I decided that wasn’t what I loved to do. While I still enjoy jumping and do it occasionally, I fell in love with showing the all-around aboard my favorite paint mare.
GHS: What are some of your future goals?
Burleson: Aside from continuing training horses, I would like to get more into the breeding side as well. This Spring, I was fortunate enough to purchase my first broodmare to start that adventure. And then slowly add on to that. It’s super fun for me, and I love being able to have a part in creating the next generation of show horses.
