Kaci Rodriquez Joins the Kail Quarter Horses Training Team

By Delores Kuhlwein

“A barn is a sanctuary in an unsettled world, a sheltered place where life’s true priorities are clear. When you step back, it’s not just about horses — it’s about love, life, and learning.” – Lauren Davis Baker

 

As far back as she can remember, Kaci Rodriguez loved horses.  It was a passion found not inside her own family, but somewhere deep in her soul, and when her parents finally bought her first show horse, Skys Blue Eyes, when she was eleven, she fell even more in love.

“After I showed through my youth and into my first year of amateur, I went through few years of college and decided that I no longer want to pursue my career path because I knew it would not make me as happy as I would be at the barn. I have always worked hard at the barn, whether it’s actually riding or simply grooming and saddling a horse,” she reveals.

Her trainers for the past four years, Ryan and Andrea Kail, knew her talent, work ethic, and her unrelenting draw to horses, and in late 2022, they offered her a once in a lifetime opportunity to train with them. Kaci didn’t have to consider the offer long, as she’d grown to understand the kindness and hard work she’d experienced around them despite any obstacles faced.  “They always found a way to get me into the show pen, and I have also created great relationship with our barn family,” she explains. “So knowing that I will be working with so many kind and hardworking people makes the decision even easier.”

What she’s also witnessed firsthand throughout those four years at Kail Quarter Horses is the importance of goal setting and fulfilling those goals. “Through the guidance of the Kails I have been able to achieve so many goals I had set for myself when I started showing. They allowed me to compete at levels I never thought I could, such as attending my first Youth World, NSBA, and World Show.”

One particular instance stands out in her mind from the 2021 Arizona Sun Circuit. The horse Kaci had leased in 2020 was sold, and she was out a horse for her final year of Youth even though she was set to show at Sun Circuit in just a few days.  Although they’d been searching, everything had fallen through, and she began to lose hope.

In their unwavering style, the Kails refused to give up, and they found an opportunity for Kaci to lease a horse in the barn. “This horse was Movin The Chains, aka “Lucky,” owned by Julie Hoefling, who was willing to let me use her horse for my last year of youth and first year of amateur,” Kaci explains. “After that day, I was able to accomplish more than I could’ve asked for and made so many of the best memories.”

As a result of that experience and countless others, the Kails have taught Kaci to never stop trying, and they’ve shown her hard work pays off.  She also feels prepared for this new journey due to what she explains is the most-loved ideal she has learned from them: “My favorite would be to always keep it fun and it will never feel like work.”

Ryan and Andrea Kail are thrilled to welcome Kaci to their training team.  Ryan says, “We’re so lucky to have Kaci. We’ve had the privilege of watching her grow up and show since she was 10 years old!!  She works so hard and never says no!! She has so much natural talent and we’re super excited to have her as part of our team!”

As Kaci embarks on this familiar but new path, unsurprisingly, she has set new objectives for herself.  “My goal is to continue to work hard and help the Kails with their growing business any way I can. I also want to continue to learn about the industry and improve my skills,” Kaci says. “I just want them to know how excited I am to be a part of the industry in a new way!”