This episode of The Ride is brought to you by SmartPak.
If you’ve seen The Last Cowboy or caught a glimpse of the reining scene in Yellowstone, you’ve already seen Matt Mills in action. But in this episode of The Ride, we go deeper—into the arenas, into his training barn, and into the early years that shaped his journey from a basketball-loving city kid to one of the most recognizable pros in the Western performance world.
Hosts Nichole Chirico and Michaela Jaycox sit down with Matt to talk about his unexpected path into the horse world—growing up in urban Southern California, catching the horse bug at a young age, and riding the city bus to lessons while dreaming of playing in the NBA. He shares how he ultimately chose horses over basketball, broke into the reining scene with little more than determination and a six-month crash course, and made his way to his first NRHA Derby. Along the way, Matt emphasizes the importance of mentorship and explains why his greatest teachers have always been the horses themselves—and how that shapes his training philosophy today.
Lights, Camera, Sliding Stops: Life on TV and in the Arena
Matt also gets candid about his role in The Last Cowboy, competing in The Run For A Million, and how Taylor Sheridan’s passion project helped introduce reining and cow horse events to a national audience.
“Taylor single-handedly changed the trajectory of the reining horse,” Matt says. “He wanted everyone to see how great this sport really is—and now they are.”
Whether you’re a seasoned rider or just getting into the sport, you’ll love hearing how Matt’s social media and video tutorials are helping riders around the world understand the value of pressure and release—and why fun should always be part of the process.
Listen now to hear Matt’s favorite horses, his philosophy on keeping horses healthy and happy, and how he ended up filming sliding stops for a scene in Yellowstone.