Colt Starting
In the dusty corrals of Powell, Wyoming, where the Big Horn Mountains shoulder up against the sky like old sentries, 2Rank2Ride runs a serious colt starting program built on real horsemanship and hard-earned experience. At the heart of it stands John Silva, a retired rodeo competitor who spent years as a bulldogger, wrestling steers in the timed events across the rugged arenas of the West. When the rodeo road finally wore thin, Silva came home to Powell and turned his focus to the kind of horse training that matters out here: turning green colts and untouched mustangs into dependable saddle horses that can handle real work.
Silva knows rank horses. He has wrestled big, powerful steers at full speed and he brings that same gritty understanding and timing to every colt that steps into his round pen. The colt starting program at 2Rank2Ride is no weekend clinic or sugar-coated affair. It comes in solid blocks of 60, 90, or 120 days, giving the horse and trainer time enough to build a foundation that lasts. Each block is tailored to the individual animal, whether it is a fresh BLM mustang pulled straight from the pens at Wheatland or a ranch-raised colt that has never felt a saddle.
The process starts simple and stays honest. Day one means getting the colt used to human pressure without sparking a fight. Silva and his crew move quiet but firm, teaching the horse to yield to the halter, to accept touch, and to stand tied without pulling back until the rope feels like home. Ground work builds respect and confidence. They teach the colt to move off leg pressure on the ground first, to give to the bit, and to accept the saddle without blowing up. No shortcuts. No gimmicks. Just consistent, fair handling that lets the horse figure things out on its own terms.
Once the basics lock in, the riding phase begins. Silva climbs aboard with the same calm nerve he carried into the rodeo arena. He starts slow in the round pen, then moves to the bigger arena and finally into the hills around Powell. These colts learn to handle rough country early. They cross creeks, navigate timber, and work cattle when the opportunity comes. The goal is not a finished show horse but a solid using animal that can pack a hunter into the high country, drag a calf to the fire, or carry a rider across miles of sagebrush without quitting.
The longer programs deliver deeper results. A 60-day block gets the colt riding quiet and respectful under saddle. The 90-day stretch adds miles and exposure, teaching the horse to handle trail obstacles, traffic, and different terrain with steady confidence. By the end of 120 days, the colt has a strong foundation in ranch work, packing, and mountain riding. John Silva pushes each horse just enough to build mental toughness without souring its attitude. He reads every ear flick and tail swish, adjusting the work to fit the individual instead of forcing a one-size-fits-all method.
For owners sending young mustangs or ranch colts through the program, the payoff shows in the finished product. These horses come back knowing their job. They stand quiet for mounting, move off light cues, and carry a rider with the kind of heart that comes from honest training and good blood. Many of the mustangs that enter the colt starting program already carry that wild-country toughness in their bone and muscle. Silva simply shapes it into something useful for the working man or woman who needs a partner, not a project.
Out here in Powell, John Silva and the 2Rank2Ride crew keep the old rodeo grit alive in the training pen. They turn rank prospects into reliable horses the same way the country raises them: slow, steady, and built to last. Whether a client chooses the 60, 90, or 120-day block, the result is the same: a horse ready for the real West, with a foundation poured in sweat and proven under saddle where it counts.
