Michael LaCumbre is the owner and trail boss of the Fossey Mountain Springs Ranch, he breaks new horses and trains them using the Natural Horsemanship methods made famous by Parelli and others. Similar to Robert Redford in the "Horse Whisperer" Michael has perfected this skill and uses these methods to gently control the horses. He also teaches these methods to new riders to the ranch.

The object is for the horse to be calm and feel safe throughout the training process. A horse that feels calm and safe with his handler is quick to bond with that person. Horses are social herd animals, evolved for social interaction and the ability to escape predators. The horse has a highly developed communication system practiced primarily through body language. Natural horsemanship helps riders learn to use body language to communicate with the horse.

Timing is everything, as the horse learns not from the pressure itself, but rather from the release of that pressure. Thesetechniques are based on the principle of reinforcement, rather than physical force, which most Natural Horsemanship practitioners avoid using whenever possible. Natural Horsemanship approach emphasizes the use of groundwork to establish boundaries and set up communication with the horse. This includes leading exercises, long reining and liberty work.