It’s 1 a.m., and Pete Lichau is in a stable far from home, packing a few things after another impressive performance at a horse show. In all honesty, impressive isn’t a strong enough word for it — Lichau, a veteran trainer and horseman of 20 years, and 3-year-old show horse, Alex Maximus, had just won a Reserve World Title and nabbed two Top 10 finishes at the WDAA Western Dressage World Championship.
Lichau has been in this spot before. He’s won more than 20 titles in his career, representing a variety of breeds and disciplines. But for Max, it was only his seventh show in his young career. Moreover, he’d only been working with Lichau for roughly 50 rides.
As Lichau stepped into the stall with his new friend, the look in Max’s eyes said it all.
“I’ve been struggling for quite some time to find the right words to describe the look he gave me,” Lichau said. “Max just looked at me with incredible depth in his eyes. There was such reverence and intimacy — and I know I’m still not describing it right. Either way, I froze as I stared back at him. We hadn’t been together for very long before that. But it was a deep, trusting look.
“It was as if he was saying, ‘Dude, we’re cool [with each other].’”
If you’ve never met Lichau, 62, or been to his Rose Gate Farm in Argyle for horse riding training, you might hear that story and think it’s the result of him being bucked off one too many horses over the years. And you wouldn’t be too far off on the getting bucked off part — he once broke his neck while bareback riding in a rodeo event and didn’t know it. But the truth is that Lichau genuinely loves horses and people and has spent the lion’s share of his career facilitating a deeply personal bond between the two.
It doesn’t matter if he’s working with a Quarter Horse, Arabian, Andalusian, or Pinto. He trains young horses like Max for all sorts of competitions and even older horses past their prime that are considered “difficult.” He also teaches, works with, and passes the time each day with riders of all ages and professional pursuits.
And well before the dust in the ring settles, the approach is always the same — softer, gentler, engaged, and intimate.
“When your head and heart are ready, the horse will naturally follow,” Lichau adds.
To Lichau, horses aren’t mindless animals you manipulate with aggressive commands or actions such as whipping and spurring. Even riders who love animals and have no ill will toward anyone or anything come to Rose Gate thinking that’s just part of riding horses. And in many ways, it still is for plenty of championship riders and their horses. But Lichau has never been much of a follower. He grew up revering the old Californio Vaquero way of connecting with your horse, and he insists — now more than ever — there’s a need to spread these teachings to a younger generation of riders who might otherwise miss out on a deeply personal relationship.
“I teach horsemanship, and if you’re going to ride the horses I adore and get them to follow your directions, you have to drop those preconceptions of how this is supposed to be done and instead place responsibility upon yourself,” Lichau said. “If the horse isn’t doing something right or responding correctly, maybe you aren’t saying or doing the right things, or your attitude is negative. It isn’t always about what you say. It’s more about what they hear.”
He added, “Too many riders are taught to pull the horse’s head down and spur them a bit more — and that’s not fair to the horse. You must have the right aura around a horse and develop that connection. I know it sounds crazy, but it works.”
As you’ve probably guessed by now, Pete Lichau knows a thing or two about horses. He grew up in Sonoma, California, and rode the amateur rodeo circuit before moving to Texas at 19 to turn pro. This was in the early 1980s, and he drove to Fort Worth and rode bareback horses for the next 27 years. He worked odd jobs on local ranches and farms while not riding.
Lichau became an independent horsemen and won his first world championships in 2004. He has more than 20 world titles in breed associations such as the Pinto Horse Association, International Andalusian & Lusitano Horse Association, Gypsy Horse Association, and Irish Draught Horse Association.
Fast forward a few years, and he created Rose Gate to pass on his knowledge. He still trains 14 to 16 horses and attends 15 to 20 shows, trail rides, and events throughout the year. But he’s also made an indelible mark on other riders, many of whom have won countless riding awards. When you take lessons at Rose Gate Farm, you develop horsemanship skills and knowledge that can be applied to all disciplines of riding. Programs are personalized to meet the goals of each student, and just a few of the training areas they learn include horse care, ground work, riding, showing, training, problem-solving, and evaluations.
You do not need to have a horse to take lessons. Rose Gate Farm has various horses to meet each student’s needs. If you have a horse or are interested in purchasing a horse, Lichau offers personalized training programs for a few select clients at a time.
“One of those clients is a young girl named Hadley Hoxworth. She’s only 12, and believe it or not, Max is her horse,” Lichau said. “She is gracious enough to let me train and ride him, but there’s no mistaking that she’s the owner. I give her all the ribbons and the trophies he wins. She is a special young lady, and I couldn’t be more appreciative of her.”
Max’s future looks bright. Lichau’s next goal is to compete at the Friesian Sporthorse Nationals in Tryon, North Carolina.
“People ask me what I do for a living, and I tell them I’m a professional horseman. But I’m really a practitioner. I’m always practicing, and I always will be,” Lichau said. “When they ask me what I do with the horses, I tell them I dance with them. Whatever the dance, it could be classical, western, hunter pleasure, saddle seat, etc. I’ve got all the outfits, so I change them out, change the saddle, ride the same horse, and change the radio station. It could be Tchaikovsky one day and Led Zeppelin the next.”
He added, “Either way, the horse will listen. We’ll have fun doing it, too.”
To learn more about Lichau, Max, and Rose Gate Farm, please visit www.rosegatefarm.com.
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