Virtually unridable at age 14 and nicknamed 'the Devil Horse' by previous trainers; under Kim's training Smarty performed in Redding, California horse shows in Dressage, Reining, English & Western Pleasure, Trail, and Jumping -- ridden by owner Patricia Ahlf.

Because curb bits are not allowed in English-riding shows, Kim had to use a snaffle bit while showing (shown here) or pelham - which frankly didn't work that well for Smarty!

In the photo above, he's braced against the snaffle, not following-through with his hind legs,and is somewhat on his front-end. However, the fact that Smarty could be ridden safely in horse shows in a snaffle was a major victory.

Smarty was a large, bulky Quarter Horse gelding; but once he began moving correctly and developing long, lean muscles... Kim liked to think he resembled a Trakehner.

Why did you name your website Cowgirl Image?

I named it that because I have my Cowgirl Model website - I'm a cowgirl turned model - but I'm still a cowgirl with a reputation to consider. My reputation - or image - means living the values, standards, and principles that I think are befitting what some call the 'cowboy way'. Or in my case the 'cowgirl way'. To me this means being courageous and strong, doing great deeds that benefit humanity, being a survivor, having an extreme degree of integrity, being a purist, being kind, above all being practical... and of course looking good while you do it.

My 'image' or reputation makes a nice pun, considering that the photographic image of what I represent is what I seek to capture.

We are in the age of what I call the 'wanna-be cowboy' and I want to show people what a true cowboy/cowgirl actually is. It's a lot more than dressing up in a hat, boots, & scarf - then galloping around on a drugged horse to make people think you can ride.

Who are your horse-training articles best suited for?

My training lessons are for horse-handlers who truly want to work with their horse. They are for beginners and advanced handlers alike. My techniques will work for anyone who sincerely applies them, regardless of experience or ability. The key is to only do as much as you are able, and as is safe, to do.

Horses are dangerous animals. To train them correctly takes real WORK! So if you are devoted to working with your horse safely, to applying effective training techniques regardless of horse-industry 'political correctness', and to practice & repetition, my training articles are for you.

My lessons are step-by-step, emphasizing safety. You must truly master one step before you are able to go onto another. So even if you are an experienced horse-handler, you can't just rush through these lessons. And if you are an inexperienced one, you will be able to slowly work the steps and build a solid foundation of knowledge and technique.

If you are concerned with horse-industry 'political correctness', are only interested in jumping on your horse for a trail ride every month or two, and don't truly care about effective training methods or safety, these lessons are not for you. I don't give short-cuts or 'training articles for dummies'. And I couldn't care less about which bit or gimmick some famous 'trainer' (yes, I use that word loosely) is using or selling.

My horse-training lessons are step-by-step and as simple as possible; but they are extremely detailed. And therein lies their beauty: only a sincere horse-handler willing to work the plan, put in the elbow grease, and be dedicated to the work will find them useful.

Although I sell a lot of modeling photos in my eStore in addition to my horse-training advice, please don't be intimidated by this if you're a horse handler needing help. My horse-training technique is the basis from which I've built all my other work, and helping horses and their owners is something I take very seriously.

Why don't you have photos of you training horses to illustrate your articles?

When I was physically training horses - which I am not right now - I was 100% involved with perfecting my training technique, and this took years. All I cared about was training the horses properly and getting positive results. Believe me, I cared 0% for getting any photos at that time. (This goes along with the 'being practical above all' principle I mentioned about 'the cowgirl way'.)

I don't have any horses of my own right now and don't want to deal with the legal hassle of using other people's horses. I also think photography is an art and I'm a perfectionist; so until everything falls into place and is 100% right, I probably will not be getting any training photos up.

However, the very best book I ever read (I can't even remember the name of it) was an old dressage book written by a true dressage master. (And those who truly understand dressage - especially today - are rare.) It had no pictures that I can remember; but it described in minute detail how to work each rein, the correct way a horse should bend on a circle, and on & on about the correct way a horse should move.

Most people probably wouldn't be able to finish the book; it was so detailed, complex, and dry. But I learned more from that book than any other. Because not only was it correct... but I had to envision everything in my mind. And when I had to do that, somehow over the years I remembered and integrated the vision and the information. And I truly learned to ride and train a horse to move correctly.

So even though there aren't many photos in my articles, by reading them and listening to the audio, horse-handlers will be able to truly learn and integrate my techniques into their training. This is why my email training advice works. And why my techniques are proven - if they weren't solid, they would not work by someone using them from an email or article.

And honestly... sometimes it scares me how psychic I am about understanding and advising some of these problems on horses I haven't even seen, or have only seen by video. It's always a thrill to have my 'virtual' horse & handler make good progress over the distance, and prove over & over the validity of my techniques.