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Winter 2013/2014 Hoofprints & Happenings Newseltter
Please enjoy my latest Hoofprints &Happenings Newsletter filled with LOTS of info! http://www.learnhorses.com/newsletter/H%20&H%20Winter%202013_14.pdf
Live Radio Interview
Just got notice to those folks in the north Idaho vicinity! I'll be doing a live radio interview focusing on Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey. It will be hosted by Gary Lirette on Tuesday Jan 21 at 12pm PST which will be broadcasted on KSPT 1400 AM and KBFI 1450 AM- be sure to tell all of your horse friends and tune in!
People trained by their horse- learning to work around our horses
When I come across individuals who are experiencing
difficulty in earning their horse’s respect, both when on the ground and when
in the saddle I try to review with a student how they catch, lead, go out the
gate, groom, mount, etc. their horse, to search for where the unwanted behavior
is beginning.
Here are some common remarks:
I let him graze while I shut the gate, so that I can shoo
off his pasture mate.
I have to tie him at ___________ so that he won’t paw or
worry about _____________.
I have to mount him here; otherwise he might try to
__________.
I have to hide the halter/bribe with treat, so that he doesn’t
run off.
I have to put him in the horse trailer ______________ so
that he doesn’t cause a problem.
You get the idea. In
all of these scenarios, the horse through unwanted, dramatic and perhaps
dangerous behavior, has “taught” the owner how to avoid a “situation” by
pacifying the horse and by limiting the human’s requests or expectations of
their horse.
All too often, the horse does not initially “come with”
problems; but when trying to be nice
to their horse, owners unknowingly are teaching their horse how to take
advantage of them. In the beginning the
horse’s behavior may not seem “all that bad” but it can soon evolve to the
point where the horse has become unreasonable or difficult to deal with. And in many situations, people don’t search
for help until the horse has caused harm or scared the human.
A lot of horse owners have limited time with their horses
and many people are not exposed to multiple horses and so their perspective and
understanding is limited. I on the other
hand more often than not am “called in” AFTER worst case scenarios have
occurred and see how the inconsistency of owners’ interaction with their horses
can create major problems.
I cannot recall how many times over the years as I try to
offer students an overview of their behavior (or lack of) and link together the
seemingly “separate” incidents their horse has presented, that an owner has
commented that they are realizing they are behaving the same towards their dog,
children and spouse.
I often use the analogy that if you had a child who asked
for something and you replied “No,” but if the child kept persisting until you
finally “gave in” and said, “Yes,” you have then taught the child to wear you
out with future requests, until you give in to their desires. The same goes for horses and owners.
A combination of a lack of awareness and understanding, not
being equipped with quality “tools” to communicate with their horse, and often
due to time constraints, rarely do horse folks follow through with an initial
request of their horse. So just as with
a child, the horse quickly learns how to “wear down” their owner, until the
horse gets what it wants.
The following are a few of what I have found to be underlying
issues contributing to dangerous horses:
The owner’s initial desire to be their horse’s “friend,”
rather than leader. Many cases of trying
to be nice, often lead to the human being taken advantage of.
Owners not understanding that they can have a “standard”
when they work with their horse, such as the horse being respectful of the
human’s personal space, learning to wait patiently, physically responding
softly to a human’s communication, etc.
Humans are distracted whether it is from stress of life,
work, family, etc. more often than not the person is not mentally present when
working with their horse. And the animal
senses it immediately.
A lot of people tend to live in the “gray area” rather than
operate in the “black and white-ness” of horses. A horse is either mentally and emotionally
okay or he isn’t. When he asks for
guidance, direction or support, and the human offers a “gray answer” it doesn’t
help the horse believe in the human’s leadership, and so the horse takes over
in decisions made and with his actions.
Often in dramatic scenarios human try to react passively, this
doesn’t help the horse. And many humans
don’t believe a situation can get as dramatic or dangerous as quickly as it
does.
People often misinterpret what is typically classified as “bad,
stubborn, and resistant” behavior displayed by a horse, when really the animal
is asking for help.
So the next time you experience or hear of someone
complaining about their horse’s unwanted behavior, take a moment to assess both
the person and horse from the beginning of their interaction on any given
day. You’ll probably start to notice
certain behavioral patterns in both the person and horse, which can often hold
the answers of what needs to be initially addressed in order to get a change in
the horse’s behavior.
The moment to address the unwanted behavior is not when the
horse is at his peak of emotional and mental stress, but rather when he is
still reasonable and has the mental availability to “hear” what the human is
offering.
It does take thought, effort and experimentation to learn
how to influence changes in our horses which people tend to resist trying. But if you keep offering the same
communication in the same way, your horse is going to keep “answering” with
unwanted responses.
Good Luck,
Sam
Breaking the Arena Boundaries… Creating Adaptability in the horse
Over the years of teaching, I have had to get very, very
creative at times with lesson “formats.”
Whether it was due to weather conditions, arena footing problems/access,
and so forth while working with one or sometimes as many as 12 or 13 students,
I’ve learned to “roll with” whatever a scenario presented and make the best
learning situation out of it. I call it
Real World Riding.
From working while riding down 15’ wide canals next to huge
irrigation ditches, to working on literally the side of a hill with fallen
timbers, to meandering through woods or orange groves, to lessons on the beach
(tough I know,) to having a lesson evolve in the “in-between area” when
trying to just get from point A to point B and something unexpected comes up.
I wince when I arrive at a facility and see grooves around
the rail of the arena. I try to remind
and ask my human students about how quickly they can get bored if they are “brainlessly”
repeating an exercise over, and over and over again, how quickly do they think
their horse will get bored?
In my own initial riding lessons as a student, there were
the traditional “rules,” which do have value, but I find they often hinder people’s
creativity and a horse’s enthusiasm the
more often the similar lessons are taught.
People and horses easily fall into patterned routines,
such as tacking up in the same spot, mounting in the same place, initially
always riding off in the same direction, without even realizing what they are
doing. And often, as long as they keep
asking a task of their horse in the same pattern, the horse will offer what
seems to be a complacent response, but what really is a conditioned response,
which then can lead to a lot of problems.
Horses have their brain and emotions. So learning how to work with the horse’s
brain, creating a mental availability within him so that he can then be influenced will then increase his confidence when the unknown or unexpected is presented.
One of the factors that contribute to this is keeping the horse's mind focused, rather than just addressing his physical movement. The more creative sessions are, often the better a horse
responds.
How many times have you been
in the shower thinking about something and suddenly stopped and asked yourself,
“Did I already put conditioner in my hair?”
You can quickly get used to a routine, and you can physically
accomplish the task at hand, but often be mentally somewhere else. This is often the case with horses.
Stories regarding a horse’s undesired behavior frequently start with, “All
of a sudden, he just…” Unfortunately, this is the human's perception, but not usually an accurate assessment.
More often than not, the initial, minor resistance or defensiveness from the horse has been ignored because it was still "manageable," or the person was able to contain the symptom, but did not address the source of distress. Therefore when something unexpected arises that finally causes the horse's proverbial emotional cup to "overflow," the horse reacts in a "suddenly" more drastic and dramatic manner, which is his only defense in a scenario
that reflects his level of insecurity.
Because horses can get comfortable with routine, they can
seem very willing when they have repeatedly been shown what will be asked of them. This gives the human the false illusion that everything is fine with the horse. And then comes the day when there is a change in the routine, and the saint of a horse turns into a
fire breathing dragon. Frequently it isn’t
until the day of a sudden emergency, or unplanned change, when the person really
needs their horse to comply, that they find out how little adaptability, or mental availability the horse has towards trying something different.
So the next time you head out to work with your four-legged
friend, take some time to experiment with how, what, and the why’s of your
interaction with your horse. Slow down
during the “normal” or “basics” and start to notice if you ask something
different than the norm of your horse, how does he respond? It will give you a starting place as to what needs to address to help him learn how to willingly participate, rather than TOLERATE working with you.
The more clear the communication is, the more
that can be accomplished with quality. So yes, you
can work on leg yields in just a 15’ wide path, or you can practice flying
changes as you weave through the orange groves, you can focus on riding straight
as you approach the narrow opening between the two fallen trees, and you can practice increasing and decreasing energy levels or shortening and
lengthening strides as you navigate the holes in the open field.
The physical boundaries of the fencing in an arena, are
really just mental boundaries for the human and horse, and more often than not,
handicap what we could really be accomplished with our horses. Why not start the New Year by getting
creative to better support your horse’s mental and emotional needs in
order to improve his physical willingness to participate?
So head out and start breaking the boundaries…
Sam
Why the quality of the horse's Halt matters
The cartoon reminds me of a time many, many moons ago when I
was competing on a super talented off the track Thoroughbred at a Training level
horse trials in New Mexico. It was our
first event together and the moment we left the start box, his brain had
reverted to racehorse mode. We actually came
to a complete halt twice, in the middle of our cross country test, and we STILL
came in under the minimum allotted time.
Of course, back then, I was taught that bits gave you “control” and the more
equipment you used, the better your “stop” was.
At the end of the ride, I was immediately informed I needed a more
severe bit.
At that time I was riding for my ego. Really.
The equine experience almost hardly ever considered or focused on my
horse; it was about my goals, my wants, my success, and my
accomplishments. Even the sport of Three
Day Eventing was considered the “crazy” group of riders, who almost all seemed set
on challenging their horses into surviving a cross country course. I remember years later sitting with a three
time Olympic Gold Medalist I worked under, and him telling me about the number
of brutal crash-and-burns, it required for him to get where he was at present
day.
Although there wasn’t what I considered at the time to be “abuse,”
I certainly never considered my horse’s brain or emotions. His tendons and hooves were far more
important. If you saw me among the
general populous of riders, you wouldn’t have noticed either greatness or
dramatic “flaws.”
Yet now, in thinking back, and as we all know hindsight is
20/20, it shocks me as to what this horse put up with. Why on earth did he jump- eventually over
obstacles the width of pickup trucks, try his heart out during every ride, save
me (on numerous occasions), and not just quit on me?
I’ll never forget taking my first “real” Dressage lesson on him
with a Dutch gal who was one of the first people to actually instruct me how to ride. She didn’t mention my horse’s brain or
emotions, but she actually taught me in-the-moment aids and tools to
communicate with my horse. Without
realizing it, she was the catalyst in a chain of events that still affects me to
this day. She also changed my bit to a
much softer, less severe device and showed me that I could still “control” my
horse.
The old days of the cross country were all about the “go” and
survival. Really. Anyone who doesn’t believe please take a moment
and watch the 1976 Olympics in Bromont, Canada.
Be ready to have your heart in your throat as you watch the following
video of the cross country portion of the event. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31dlhFlgmbA
Fast forward to the present day and I cannot tell you how often
new clients contact me after things have “gone wrong.” That vague description can range from experiencing
literally falling off the side of a cliff while clinging to their horse, or aggressive behavior that resulted in broken
bones, concussions, etc. to just a general feeling of out-of-control-ness.
I don’t know historically when, how, and why westerner’
perception of horses transitioned and our belief that chaos is “normal” in our
equine partner along with ill manners, dangerous behavior, etc. Of course our perspective of our horse being
our “pet” or “baby” sets the stage for those sorts of behaviors to evolve.
As people who only have so much time for fun, the general
populace’s experience with horses has decreased; instead of spending six hours
a day with the horse, maybe one hour twice a week is spent. Just the time, irrelevant of the quality,
allows for people to learn and see more about their horse.
It seems that as the horse transitioned from a tool for our
survival to a “pleasure” animal, our standard of what behaviors we would
accept, tolerate, etc. has too decreased.
I would hate to guess at the number of people who became involved with
horses for fun, and in reality, after the romanticized perspective faded, how
little fun they actually experienced, and yet they keep pursuing the sport.
As I’ve remarked before, those with no horse experience can
often see “more” than those with years of lessons. Just as many humans unknowingly desensitize
their horses (not in a positive manner) and teach the horse to become mentally
resistant and eventually physically dangerous, humans teaching other humans can
do the same thing to one another.
I experienced it myself, ignore the “instinct” of wanting
things like brakes and steering while riding, instead, just focus on getting
over the jump! Have you ever been around
a horse person who uses the words, “Oh, he just does that…” Why?
I have heard stories ranging from people unloading their horse,
so that they could back the horse trailer, then reloading the horse, to ones
who had to put grain into one far corner of the pen in order to distract a horse so that they could quickly access the other side of the pen without being
“attacked.” I’ve witnessed horses having
to wear cages (literally) around their muzzle to not attack, I’ve been
instructed while riding Grand Prix Dressage horses not to “let go” when I
hacked a loop around the barn area in case the horse took off. I’ve watched people conditioned to crank their
horse’s nose to their knee every time they mount, without ever considering WHY
they were doing that; which usually is done in case the horse may take
off. To me, the follow-up question is
then, “Why are you getting on a horse that you think might be ready to bolt?”
Things that have become “basics” in my mind such as my horse
coming over and presenting himself to be caught, ground tying irrelevant of
where we are, yielding and following any form of pressure, offering to line up
to an object so that I could climb aboard, having 10 energies within each gait,
being able to accept my “clumsiness” by bumping, banging, and dragging objects
all around his body are just a few of the “starting” points for me.
Fussing when led, groomed, tacked, tied, during farrier
care, while being mounted, when asked to halt in the middle of a ride, etc. is
all unnecessary. And yet somehow the
mentality of, “Oh they just do that,” has saturated the equestrian community. Horses are fantastic HUMAN TRAINERS. How many people have learned how to work
around their horses?
Well I
can’t tie him, so I just loop the rope in case he pulls back.
He doesn’t
like the farrier so we sedate him.
He doesn’t/won’t
stand still, so I let him graze while I _____________.
I get on
him in the arena in case he decides to ______________.
He is a
little hard to catch sometimes so I just shake the grain bucket/hide the halter
behind my back/catch his buddy first.
You get the idea.
Some of you may be laughing, but in reality, it is quite scary how much
is done with relatively out-of-control horses.
In my perspective, horses can run away with you at the walk. Out of control does not mean that your horse
is galloping at 35mph and you’re hanging off the side.
Let us put it into human terms. What is the one thing that will NEVER let us
relax? Internal stress. It doesn’t matter what the stress is about,
the source of where it is coming from, or how much of it we are experiencing. As long as it is present in our minds, our
bodies act different and we can never truly find a “quiet” within ourselves,
therefore never feeling a relaxed physical demeanor. The same goes for horses.
And when we humans are stressed how much patience do we
have? How much physical strength/coordination/ability
do we have compared to when we aren’t stressed.
How many people do you actually know that experience one stress-free hour a day? A week? A month?
And as a result, our minds get foggy and overloaded and our bodies start
to break down. The same goes for the
horses.
Weaving, chewing, pawing, pacing, cribbing, wind sucking,
fussiness, etc. are all indicators of stress.
Ulcers, weight issues, etc. can be the physical tolls that stress can
take on a horse. Ask yourself how many moments
in a day (whether or not you are interacting with him) does your horse
experience as “stress-free” time?
Of course, to do this, we must put value to our horse’s
brains and emotions. So as many folks
laugh when I say that I “want it boring,” I really mean it. “It” can be whatever you are asking of your
horse; come to be caught, stand to be groomed, hold up for the person behind us
on the trail, etc. Nothing I ask of my
horse should look physically busy, chaotic, hurried, choppy, etc. If it does, I must pause and remind myself
the physical behavior is a reflection of the brain and emotions; when my horse
is feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside, he’ll show it with relaxed, but not
mentally checked, physical behavior.
Often people think the halt is the act of physically not moving. But if you scanned hundreds of pictures or
watched a warm-up arena at an event being asked to halt. You’d be surprised how many horses offer more
of a physical “pause” but you can actually see how the horse’s weight is
shifted in a manner ready to “leave” and that his brain is elsewhere, rather
then seeing a physical and mental commitment to stop in one specific place.
The horse’s body follows his brain. Wherever his brain maybe, his body will try
to get to. So if I can get my horse’s
brain to think right here, six inches ahead of us, and keep his brain there, I
can “keep” his body from moving, WITHOUT having to “HANG ON” to the reins.
So from ground tying to mounting or halting during a ride, I
don’t want to feel like I NEED to “control” my horse. I’d rather like to influence my horse’s brain
and emotions. The more he tunes in to
what I am asking, the softer his physical movement and responses will be. The softer and more mentally receptive he is
to my influence, the less I have to physically do to “get him” to participate
in what I want.
So I also have the last laugh when many new clients are enthusiastically
daydreaming out loud about all the “big stuff” they want me to help them
accomplish. I listen quietly and try not
to deflate their grandiose ideas. As
their journey begins, their perspectives start to change or evolve into appreciating
less movement, but more quality in their rides.
I can’t tell you how many times someone enthusiastically comments, “Wow,
look how nice he is standing,” and for all, they had previously wanted to
accomplish with their horse, are now realizing the importance of the mental,
emotional AND physical quiet that must take precedent, before the “exciting” movement
is asked of their horse.
So, here is putting a bit more value in your next halt.
Kids and horses... what ALL of us could learn from them.
I haven’t ever really fit “the mold” in the horse world, and
to this day people are stumped when they ask what it is that I do, and I answer
that “I work with horses and their owners.”
“But what discipline?” they ask. “All of them,” I say. Of course this answer usually gets a “so you
don’t really specialize in anything or know much about anything” sort of facial
response. Which is fine with me, because
it allows me to see someone’s perspective on the “horse world.”
Opening a horse facility in remote northern Idaho was not
exactly a way to attract “big” clientele, but it definitely sorted out those
who were “committed” and those that wanted it “easy.” There is no judgment at the facility, no “keeping
up with the Jones’” mentality, just humble horse owners looking to further
their horse experience in a positive and safe place. Last week I had three new students all
driving two hours or more just for an hour lesson!
Yesterday I had a gaited horse learning to jump, a young
colt being started, an ex-rope horse learning how to just “be” a horse, and an
endurance horse learning that he had really did have brakes and felt better
about life if he wasn’t going either 0 or 90mph.
My human students range from youngsters who ride better than
they walk to older folks, who now also their bodies are slowing down, also ride
better than they can walk! Students
range from those who have never ridden to those with 30+ years in the
saddle. The variation keeps it fresh and
exciting for me and I never know what to expect; there is no routine or normal
here at my facility, in my lessons or my training. And I’ve worked very hard to keep stimulating
curiosity, commitment, dedication and persistence in both humans and horses.
This brings me to the topic of today’s impromptu blog. Most adult riders are happy these days just
to “keep a leg on either side,” but with kids it can be a very different
mentality. With kids even though most of
today’s children don’t know who Annie Oakley was, she seems to have “inspired”
their imaginations creating a zeal for horse adventures at high rates of speed,
with the child envisioning their horse is loving it as they gallop through the
fields. Of course reality offers a very
different version of “going for a ride” for many kids.
Over the past 22 years of teaching I’ve probably taught
close to 300+ children. That is a lot of
kids. What inspires me most about kids
is their “black and white-ness” in what information they accept, how they
respond to it, and how in turn they communicate it to their horses.
I cannot begin to tell you how many starry eyed pigtailed
horse obsessed children I have watched groom, bathe, brush, hug, braid and
snuggle with their horses who stand quietly tolerating what the kid thinks the
horse “likes.”
Then not fifteen minutes later, to watch that same docile
horse, go from a “dead” walk into a jaw jarring, teeth rattling, wind-up-toy
trot dragging their rider in the opposite direction from which the rider was
attempting to turn. No matter how hard
the rider tries to pull, that horse (or pony) pushes their nose down, pops
their shoulder, and “leans” until ending up in the horse’s desired spot. Then, the horse stops and looks around with
an innocent expression as if saying, “What’s the problem?” (Think Thelwell pony!)
Then there is the happily trotting steed who decides to “randomly”
slam on the brakes to watch their tiny rider flip right off and down their neck
as if doing a summersault towards the horse’s ears.
Or the “I didn’t know your leg was there” moments when the
horse “accidentally” rubs the rider’s barely foot long leg against the gate or
fence.
The blistered tiny palms, the raw legs, the sore backsides
and the bruised egos, and yet these kids come back for more, and through it
all, they still LOVE their horse.
I am always proud to recognize my students in a crowd; they
are the ones who are circling, serpentining, leading if necessary, stopping and
letting their horse look at the scary things, but mostly you can recognize them
from how often they pat their horses. I
joke and tell them I want to see raw spots on their horse’s necks from patting.
I can’t tell you how many circles some of these children
have “put up with” me asking them to do with their horse, I’m sure the whole
time they were thinking that they’d never get off a circle or a turn. Obviously the circle or turn is not the “fix
it” but rather a tool to get the horse’s brain back with it’s rider. I’ve never taught or spoken to kids as if
they were any less capable than an adult; and often I find they are MORE
capable because they don’t carry a lot of the psychological “what ifs” around
in their head as they work with their horse.
Often kids wind up on less than “broke” horses, and have to
learn the “hard way;” my theory in teaching is that I teach a person how to
work with ALL horses, not just the one they happen to be riding.
So after who knows how many lessons, practice sessions,
practice shows, group gatherings, etc. to watch students who at the beginning had
to turn or circle literally every five to 10 feet just to get down the long side of an arena to
winning every competition they enter, is awesome. Of course I could care less about the ribbon
or placing, but rather, that the child feels the fulfillment of the hard work,
dedication and honest relationship they had to build WITH their horse is
awesome.
The other morning I was teaching two students, both of whom
have very young and inexperienced horses.
Their horses still come up with moments of “excitement” but the girls
actually gain confidence from helping their horses through those moments,
rather than just trying to survive them.
And every once in a while, I am more than pleasantly surprised when the
students ask to do something they hadn’t done before. Below is a picture of what they came up with
today:
So the next time you head out to work with your horse and are feeling a little frustrated, take a moment and try to find that "inner child" whose perspective may allow you and your horse to achieve more than you could have imagined.
Sam
September Full Immersion Clinic Promo
Ok, so here is my “self-promotion” (which I loathe to do) to
inspire you to sign up or tell all your friends about the upcoming last Full
Immersion Clinic of the summer season, being offered here in gorgeous
Sandpoint, ID (voted America’s #3 most beautiful town BTW) at The Equestrian
Center, LLC!
My Full Immersion clinics typically cater to all level
horses and riders, and don’t have a predetermined lesson plan, but often participants
quickly recognize similarities, even between young horses being started and
older “been there, done that” equine partners.
I cater to ALL disciplines; often a review of the basics (which is not a
NEGATIVE thing even to those who have ridden for years) to help clarify and improve
our understanding of the how, what and why’s of our communication, body
language, interpretation of the horse’s behavior, etc.
This next FIC I’m going to also prioritize three main focus points.
The first is helping folks recognize, put value to and
understand their horse’s behavior. All
too often people accept a horse’s behavior because, “he always does that,”
without ever investigating what might be causing the behavior, if it is
appropriate and if there needs to be a change in what is acceptable and those
behaviors that aren’t. (Rushing out the gate, “leading” the person on the lead
rope, taking extra steps as someone is half way mounted, tearing away as the
halter is being undone, difficult to catch, fidgeting while grooming and
tacking, anticipative during the ride, rushing in his gaits, heavy on the bit,
etc.)
The second is learning how to raise the human’s awareness. This helps people learn to recognize the
beginning of “a problem” rather than like most folks who wait until after the
horse has become very dramatic and dangerous before they start paying attention
to their horse. Also learning how, when
and what you are conveying with your own body language and energy will
influence the quality of your communication.
In the long run this will allow you to do “less” and get “more” from
your horse.
The third major topic of focus will be learning how to “feel.” I forget because I work with horses day in
and day out, how dull, heavy and physically resistant most people are when they are interacting with their horse. This topic will help re-sensitize the human
participants so that they can become faster at “hearing” the horse, refining
what and how they “send” information through use of their hands, seat, legs,
etc. to achieve clearer and faster, “black and white” communication.
Plenty of other topics will be discussed and as always, the
group of participants will “direct” the clinic, but after this summer season of
seeing SO MANY cases of lost riders and horses, I want to re-emphasize offering
a portion of equine related education that I find most folks are missing no
matter how experienced they may be.
Whether someone is a total novice or has ridden for 20 years, often
there are missing “chapters” in their equine education, and I’d like to help
fill in the blanks.
I don’t want to sound egotistical, but often as past
participants have stated, “these clinics can be life changing,” and are a great
opportunity for a lot of people who never have been offered a safe, supportive,
positive environment to literally slow down and learn more about themselves and
their equine partner in. Just a few days
really can change everything you thought you knew… and your horse will thank
you for it in the long run!
Often it is not what the participants and auditors “came to
fix” but more what they didn’t realize they were missing in their horsemanship
and equine partnership that they learn most about at these clinics.
Remember, the clinic is limited to eight participants, but
there is no limit to the number of auditors.
If you have a self-contained unit you are more than welcome to camp at
TEC’s “million dollar views” at no additional charge.
The clinic will be offered Friday September 20th,
through Sunday September 22nd.
Each day will begin at 8am and then we will have an hour break for lunch
around noon, and then will continue until about 5pm. All level and discipline horse and riders are
welcome. These are mentally stimulating,
not physically exhausting clinics. Lots
of questions, interaction, instruction and laughter! Please visit the following link for
registration and details: http://www.learnhorses.com/Clinics/camp.htm
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