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Our
mission is to teach horsemanship, not just riding; by striving for excellence in the care and training of the horse, and practicing
safety in the proper handling and riding techniques of the horse. All of this should be done in a way that the horse
understands what we are asking of him. This is accomplished by using the tried and true EQUI-VENTURE standards of DEDICATION,
SAFETY, DISCIPLINE, EDUCATION and DETERMINATION.
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"Never leave a resistant horse without reconciliation, even if you had to treat it very strictly on that particular
day. Do not put it away until it obeys, but then a friendly relationship must be restored between trainer and horse. Always adhere to the principle:
"The punishment is directed only at the disobedience, never at the horse"; as soon as the disobedience is
over, it is our good horse."
~E.F.Seidler
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HORSES THAT WE TRAIN We train our own personal show and
school horses. Rescue horses are retrained to allow them to be adopted into loving homes. We deal with all breeds.
Our trainers have experience with starting young horses under saddle, as well as, older horses that have not been saddle trained.
We specialize in the OTTBs as a lot of our rescue horses come from the killer auctions that are sadly, the end of the line
for many unwanted ex-racehorses.
DISCIPLINES We specialize in training horses in English and Western
Pleasure, Trail Riding, Trail Class, Dressage, and Eventing. We also do Showmanship, basic Reining, and Hunt Seat.
Our horses that are trained for jumping are geared towards Eventing.
NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP
Our
trainers use methods that appeal to the horse’s natural herd mentality and instincts. We strive
to communicate with and relate to our horse as another horse would. It is our responsibility to understand horses and
see things through their eyes. We need to communicate to horses in a way that they can clearly understand what
we are asking of them. With natural horsemanship, horses are encouraged to respect and bond with their handlers, much
as they would with another horse. Our horses are trained with pressure and release methods, as well as rewards
and reinforcements. We do not use fear and pain to influence horse behavior or movements. Horses need to feel
safe with their human counterparts. Our goal is for the horse to view his trainer as a respected
and trusted leader; not his enemy. Once a horse and handler develop a deep respect for each other, and the
animal’s natural fear of man is gone - the training possibilities are endless.
TRAINERS
THAT INSPIRED US
“New” types of horsemanship, riding and training, referred to as “natural
horsemanship,” have become popular in the last two decades. However, those who know their horse history, ascertain
that there is nothing new about this form of horsemanship. Many successful horsemen throughout history have used
these very methods. There is evidence that supports that many successful horsemen throughout history have used these gentle
training methods and endeavored to gain the horses’ respect and trust.
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As early as 800 BC - understanding the importance of the rider’s balance led to the invention of the stirrup by
the Scythians of Central Asia.
• Another ancient people, the Sarmatians, rode bareback
and used leg cues to guide their mounts.
• Roman archers rode without reins,
as did many Native Americans, in order to free their hands for using their bows.
• Xenophon’s Treatise on Horsemanship suggests that the ancient Greek’s views on horse training
are even more similar to those supported by natural horsemanship.
So, "natural horsemanship"
is nothing new!
We follow the teachings and practical applications of world renown natural
horsemanship trainers like Monty Roberts, Clinton Anderson, Craig Cameron, Julie Goodnight, Richard Shrake, John Lyons and
Chris Cox. We also use the techniques shared by trainers like Jimmy Wofford, Jane Savoie and the O'Connors.
HOW WE TRAIN OUR HORSES We believe that the more well trained, versatile and
mannerly a horse is, minimizes his chances of winding up in a killpen. We also believe that horses can not be pushed
or that training should be rushed. We want our horses to be obedient, calm, relaxed, respectful, mannerly and to be
as well rounded as possible. Within their capabilities (and the discipline preferences of their owners if so desired),
we train the horses with both English and Western techniques. If the horse or pony is a rescue horse, then we will train
or reschool the horse in both disciplines. The basic training of the less dominant discipline for that particular
animal will be taught, while the predominant discipline training will be the main objective. When every horse or pony comes to us for training or
reschooling, we complete a Vices and Behavior checklist. This helps us to determine the horse's personality, fears,
likes, dislikes and see if there a pattern to any problem areas. Next we do a thorough Entrance Evaluation to determine
the existing training of the animal. Our trainers have developed a Basic Training Checklist and from there we plan our
One Year Objectives. From there these objectives are broken down in 6 Month, 3 Month, Monthly, Weekly and finally Daily
Plans of Action. Please go to our Forms & Downloads webpage to view these checklists and plans.
OUR TRAINING FEES
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