An acclaimed horse trainer who has recently relocated to Tooele County will be holding a free horse clinic in Grantsville this weekend.

Justin Beck, 26, whose career has been in training, reining and working cow horses, moved to Grantsville about six months ago from California. He has several competitive accomplishments under his belt, including qualifying for finals at the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity event in 2004; going to the winner’s circle for the North West Reining Horse Association’s Snaffle Bit year-end title in 2005; riding to a second-place finish at the zone 3 American Paint Horse Association’s senior working cow horse year-end title in 2006; and in 2007 riding to the open-bridle year-end title for both the California Reining Horse Association and Central Coast Reining Horse Association.

Beck said the clinic, which will be held all day this Saturday, will provide a venue for people to get to know him and his methods.

“The main goal is to let people know that I’m here,” he said. “And this was a good way to get warm bodies in the saddle.”

The clinic will be held at the Pegasus Event Center at 291 N. Race in Grantsville, where Beck has been working for a month and a half.

The clinic will basically be in the form of an open house, Beck said. It will start at 10 a.m., when he will begin talking about equipment. In addition, he will discuss shoeing, which he said is very important.

Beck studied psychology in college, so as part of the clinic he will talk about the philosophy and psychology of training horses — and being able to see things from the horse’s perspective.

“Seeing things from the inside out and the outside in,” he explained. “Trying to figure out how they perceive things.”

Beck said it’s important to give horses lots of TLC.

“It’s getting what you need to have done, but still being a friend to the horse,” he said.

He will also provide lunch for those who attend.

“Then we’ll get mounted and work on things people want to work on,” he said. “There will be something for everyone.”

He hopes to pass on knowledge and opportunities to others, just as people have helped him over the years.

“Most everybody I’ve ridden with donated their time,” he said, “and I think it’s important to donate my time.”

Participants need to bring their own horses. Beck said there is no need to reserve a place in advance.

Sarah Miley: swest@tooeletranscript.com