Doug Mills

Doug Mills has built his training program around horses and people. Born and raised on a working cattle ranch in Price, Utah he started his first horse when he was eight years old under the guidance of his brother in law, George Fasselin. That experience was invaluable as he learned how to safely get around the wild ones. Although there was no violence we did use restraints and wet saddle blankets. He also learned the value of giving a horse a job then leave him alone.

In his early teens Doug watched a round pen demo that would forever change how he thought about horses. The trainer had a BLM Mustang that he rode in a couple hours with no restraints. That was unheard of in those days. That demo ignited a passion in Doug and set him out on his path to developing one of the most trusted and proven methods available. More information became available via clinics, videos, books and articles. Doug became a junkie. Working horses at liberty he learned how to teach horses without restraints.

After experiencing the incredible results using his newly developed technique, Doug’s excitement turned into a passion of needing to share what he had learned with others through clinics and demos. Most of the people at the first clinics were new to horses so he learned how to break down difficult tasks into simple steps. He found a couple of common problems people were having, one was communication. The commands were too fast with inconsistent angle, pressure and timed release. The other was a lack of leadership, horses were walking all over the owners.

Doug came up with the simplest manoeuvre he knew of that would address both problems, then tested them at clinics. The goal was for the greenest rider to have success with the toughest horse. This was the beginning of Training Thru Trust!

Doug has always had a passion for well broke, athletic horses so showing reining and working cow horse was the likely place for him to learn from the best in the business. He took all he learned about training and showing performance horses and applied the Training Thru Trust philosophy and techniques. Doug believes the key to willingness is choices without restraints. “Making the right thing easy, and the wrong thing hard.”

Doug has had much success around the world, teaching both horse and rider, however he would probably tell you that his greatest achievements of late are watching his wife, Lynette and four Children all following his Training Thru Trust Program achieve their own success in the Equine Industry.