Emmalee Reed

Associate Photo Editor

emmaleereed.visura.co

The horseman

Follow Hire

“I’m a vert.... Whatever it takes.”

1 of 12 © 2024 Emmalee Reed

“I’m a vertically-integrated equine specialist,” Jim Dudley said. “Whatever happens in the industry, I do it: I lead ‘em, feed ‘em, ride ‘em, slide ‘em, show ‘em. Whatever it takes.”

“Horses to me are a l...e. Just like people.”

2 of 12 © 2024 Emmalee Reed

“Horses to me are a lot like people, I treat them a lot the same,” Dudley said. “I cannot demand respect. I can’t punish a horse into respect. I’ve got to earn it. And don’t get me wrong, I’m pretty firm, but I give a lot, too. Give and take. Just like people.”

Dudley’s horse reacts...s since he was three years old.

3 of 12 © 2024 Emmalee Reed

Dudley’s horse reacts when another charges at it during training. He has been riding horses since he was three years old.

Boots with engraved spurs sit i...oots when working with horses.

4 of 12 © 2024 Emmalee Reed

Boots with engraved spurs sit in Dudley’s garage. Dudley always wears spurs on his boots when working with horses.

Dudley stands with a m...o be artificially inseminated.

5 of 12 © 2024 Emmalee Reed

Dudley stands with a mare outside of a barn at an equine veterinary clinic. This mare was checked to see what point she was at in her ovulation cycle, necessary information to determine when she will need to be artificially inseminated.

“I’ve tried...tition,” Dudley said.

6 of 12 © 2024 Emmalee Reed

“I’ve tried lots of things, and not all of it has worked,” he said. Small adjustments made to the horses slowly improve their riding ability. “You’re looking for really, really small steps. Repetition, repetition,” Dudley said.

Dudley helps another rider lear...nteers and other horse lovers.

7 of 12 © 2024 Emmalee Reed

Dudley helps another rider learn to train his horse. His business is built on the help of volunteers and other horse lovers.

There is no typical day at the ...g, and do the same.”

8 of 12 © 2024 Emmalee Reed

There is no typical day at the office when working with horses. “All I do is solve problems when I get up in the morning,” said Dudley. “It’s basically all I do, is put fires out, all day long. Then you go to bed, get back up in the morning, and do the same.”

“I pretty much try to...mp;ldquo;different.”

9 of 12 © 2024 Emmalee Reed

“I pretty much try to keep myself organized,” he said, sitting in his office. “Not overly organized. Every horse I have in the barn that I ride, I’ve written its name down and then I put a … symbol next to it every day that I ride it: “good,” “bad,” “different.”

Dudley puts a new shoe on a hor... horse grew too uncooperative.

10 of 12 © 2024 Emmalee Reed

Dudley puts a new shoe on a horse. The shoeing process is intense and strenuous; it requires cooperation from the horse, an element not present on this early May morning. Dudley was able to shoe two of the horses hooves before the horse grew too uncooperative.

Horseshoes line the walls of th...e used in the shoeing process.

11 of 12 © 2024 Emmalee Reed

Horseshoes line the walls of the shoeing room on the Dudley property. In the shoeing room, Dudley cleans hooves, polishes shoes, and shoes his horses. The walls were filled with old horseshoes and tools to be used in the shoeing process.

Dudley ties a horse up after an...e that certain gene.”

12 of 12 © 2024 Emmalee Reed

Dudley ties a horse up after an outdoor training session. He truly loves what he does:“You’re a horse-aholic,” he said. “You just have that certain gene.”

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Private Project

The horseman

Copyright Emmalee Reed 2024

Date of Work Apr 2019 - May 2018

Updated Dec 2019

Location Columbia, Missouri

Topics equestrian

Jim Dudley is a horseman. He owns and manages Jim Dudley Quarter Horses, a horse barn and training facility in Columbia, Missouri. There, Dudley does nearly everything equine, including training and breeding. At the facility, Dudley also teaches riders how to train their own horses.

While Dudley hires some employees to help maintain the facility, most of the people seen at Jim Dudley Quarter Horses are other horse lovers, volunteers who just want to be apart of Dudley’s operation. A self-proclaimed “horse-aholic,” Dudley believes that horse riding is in his genes. He has been riding since he was three years old, and has loved every moment of it.

“Now, I’ve been really fortunate enough to make my living with my passion,” Dudley said. “So every day, even though I get tired at the end of the day, I’ve never worked a day in my life. I can’t remember a morning I didn’t jump up and say ‘I wanna ride a horse.”

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