You
do not need to be an experienced rider or horseperson to participate
with your horse in this clinic. Beginners as well as advanced riders
have found the skills taught in Ed's clinics to be very useful. His
system of working with horses builds confidence in handling horses on
the ground and mounted, equips owners with natural communication skills
and establishes their authority as a confident, consistent leader for
their horse.
Ed's teaching style is very clear and straight-forward, giving students
a methodical and systematic approach which is easy for both horse and
rider to understand and apply. His gentle methods have been proven effective
by successfully working with hundreds of horses and humans. You will
learn problem solving principles and teaching techniques that work with
the horse's nature and instincts in order to overcome resistances with
confidence, patience and understanding.

Regular Schedule
Friday night will be a lecture and demonstration on the history of natural
horsemanship and why this systematic approach works with great success
for horses and humans. We'll also show some good practical techniques
for catching, haltering, tying, saddling and bridling.
Saturday you'll be teaching your horse the Six Keys to Harmony, easy
to understand techniques for establishing respect and trust with your
horse and achieving light responses from your horse on the ground and
mounted and begin "despooking" your horse with "scary"
items. All this is designed to build his confidence in you as a worthy
leader and to help him be calmer, smarter, braver and more polite.
Sunday morning we'll review what we did on Saturday and you'll find
that both of you are doing all the exercises much more smoothly and
lightly than you did on Saturday.
Sunday afternoon we'll apply the Six Keys mounted to improve riding
skills and achieve safety and good control of speed and direction. You'll
have an easy to apply skill to absolutely stop him and shut his motor
off whenever you need to. He will be at peace under your confident leadership.
Techniques applicable to all disiplines and rider levels
The
skills you'll learn and the exercises you'll teach your horse apply
to riders of any level with any type of riding discipline, (English
or Western, competition or pleasure) and horses of any age. This is
good, common sense horsemanship that anyone should be able to do.
Follow
up Lessons
Monday
and Tuesday following every clinic, Ed will be available for private
or group lessons. This is a great opportunity for you to have a private
session to follow up on the skills learned during the clinic. Ed will
be happy to work with you and your horse on particular problems or the
issues that are most important to you. Private sessions are $85 per
hour and may be scheduled throughout the day.
If there is a group of participants who would like a follow up session
on Monday or Tuesday to all work on similar topics, group sessions are
$50 per hour per participant.
These "after clinic" group and private sessions are open to
anyone including clinic participants or spectators who would like to
work with their horse or with one of our school horses
Friday
Evening 7:00 - 9:30 PM
"Revealing
the Mystery of Natural Horsemanship"
A lecture/demonstration on the theory of natural horsemanship.
On
Friday night Ed will introduce what the participants will be
learning on Saturday and
Sunday.
Attendance at the Friday night session will be required for
rider participants. This session is open to spectators as
well. Topics
covered on Friday night:
•
Building a relationship with your horse through Care, Communication
and Consistency
•
Join-up for Respectful Catching
• Predator/Prey Relationship
• How this type of training relates
to the horse's natural instincts by explaining
herd dynamics and leadership, especially in
the wild horse herd
•
Discussion of tack and bits
• The tie knot
•
Demonstration with Sunny showing:
-
Respectful Catching
- Achieving Proper Head Position for Bridling
- Respectful Haltering
- Respectful Leading
-
Saddling and Bridling tips
"Six Keys to Harmony"
Easy
to understand techniques for establishing respect
and trust with your horse and achieving light
responses from your horse on the ground and
mounted.
Saturday
9:00AM - 5:00PM
You'll
enter the arena with your horse on halter and
lead rope unsaddled. During the day you'll be
teaching your horse the "Six Keys".
In the afternoon you'll be introducing your
horse to "Developing the Fearless Horse"
- Techniques to build Calm and Confidence into
your horse
Sunday 9:00AM
- 5:00PM
You'll
enter the arena with your horse saddled. Review
of Six Keys and Developing the
Fearless Horse with your horse. Then on
to "Riding Skills" including:
•
Safe and Respectful Mounting
• Confidence and Independent Seat at all Gaits
• Emergency Stop
• Quality of Control of Speed and Direction
____________________________________
Overnight horse boarding is usually available. Please contact us for
information.
Required:
negative Coggins for participating horses.
What
to bring: sack lunch and beverage, lawn chair, note pad and pen, all
horse tack for participants.
No
dogs or alcoholic beverages please.