Little Cowgirl on a Big Horse

Josie Lauman, 2 1/2, sits proudly and confidently on her mustang. Her mother, Kitty Lauman, trains mustangs--as she says working with the horses, not against them. They have a ranch in Prineville, OR.

Kitty, her husband Rick and their children, Josie, 2 ½, and Tanner, 5, ride mustangs. Kitty Lauman started her career as a horse trainer at the tender age of nine, under the guidance of her grandfather, John Sharp.

She later became a top Pee Wee and...
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Josie Lauman, 2 1/2, sits proudly and confidently on her mustang. Her mother, Kitty Lauman, trains mustangs--as she says working with the horses, not against them. They have a ranch in Prineville, OR.

Kitty, her husband Rick and their children, Josie, 2 ½, and Tanner, 5, ride mustangs. Kitty Lauman started her career as a horse trainer at the tender age of nine, under the guidance of her grandfather, John Sharp.

She later became a top Pee Wee and High School Rodeo contestant, competing in barrel racing and cutting, among other events. Despite her mother's assertion that "horse training isn't a real job," Kitty managed to make a living as a trainer after high school (and her mom now helps out with the business!)

Kitty won the title of Miss Rodeo Oregon in 1994, and since then, has continued to expand her horse training knowledge and experience. She placed second in the Extreme Mustang Makeover, a national competition in 2008.
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