Learning never ends

Shane, the girls and I attended a horse clinic this weekend and had a blast. We rode up with another 4-Her and her mom on Saturday and met up with several other people we knew while there. Today the four us returned and brought the other 4-Her back with us. Her mom stayed home and completed necessary chores instead of having fun with us.
The clinician was Clinton Anderson and we all took something away from the experience. The girls learned lessons, Shane gained excitement to begin working with horses more and I left with a much higher credit card balance. I bought a few training tools, and safety tie rings for our Outreach Program.

After today’s lessons I asked the girls what the liked the best and if they would be willing to share their favorite parts on Tuesday for our 4-H meeting. They each came up with several things. 1- Ground work is very important (working with the horse while the would be rider is on the ground). 2- Flexion is a fantastic key to unlocking many problems. Clinton talked about and demonstrated flexion on the ground, under saddle at the stand still and under saddle while in motion. We are all looking forward to trying these exercises with our horses. 3- Using the flexion exercise to practice one rein stops. 4- Setting your cruise control as Clinton calls it. This is where he asks the horse to move at a certain speed (walk, trot or canter) and the horse must continue at that pace until asked to do something different. During this exercise he doesn’t worry about steering, the horse may go wherever desired so long as it is at the correct gait. 5- Trouble free trailer loading. This is accomplished with the approach-retreat method to get the horse to be ok with going near and in the trailer. This is then followed up with exercises that makes the horse work outside the trailer and rest when inside the trailer such that the horse “begs” to go in the trailer.

These were the pieces that stuck with the girls the most (well besides the tricks of telling the horse to lay down, and sit and have the horse do it). At the girls request we will practice the first 3 at our 4-H ride night on Tuesday. I will let you know how that goes.
I so enjoy spending time with these girls and the horses. There ought to be a way that I can do only this forever.

Oh yeah, the Equine Outreach Program! I have several meetings this week to share this vision with members from my church, with those I worked with previously on a similar project and anyone else that will give me a few minutes and listen. Please continue to send your good wishes as we continue to move forward in this adventure. I spoke with a lawyer last week and she shared that there is a need for such a program in our area and that there is plenty of financial support if it is done “right”. Well I don’t know if I can do it “right” but I will sure give it my all. She also said that I have to dream big. She should have been talking with my accomplice about that part. I tend to be the realist and the one that doesn’t want to dream too big in case I’m told no. I don’t want to be crushed. Kinda childish huh?

So here is the BIG dream. 10 – 15 acres for the main part of the program. This would include at least one residence, and most likely two. It would have a covered round pen, small outdoor arena and a large covered arena with indoor stalls, meeting room, office area, kitchen, bathrooms and staff tack room. We would have a trail course area, covered hay storage, a shop, and program tack room fully supplied. We would need a tractor for working the arenas, and the fields, a trailer and truck. There would also be at least one field and preferably 3 fields for the horses to be turned out. Ideally there would also be another 90 acres where we could raise our own hay, and have trail rides. We would serve children, families and others in need year round, weather permitting. This would become a place where people found peace, hope, love and themselves. They will gain skills, learn they are loved and find confidence in their own abilities. How’s that for the dream?

What we need right now is lots of prayer, $1600 to cover the costs of our CPA to file our Articles of Incorporation, and our 501 c 3 status, a few dedicated die-hards willing to be on our board, a tractor for working the area where we currently are operating and money to cover our liability insurance costs. We are also praying for the 10 – 15 acres with the possibility of more to become available for what we can afford. Unfortunately in our area wine is becoming a HUGE deal and the land prices are soaring. Please pray with us that God will open doors, hearts and land to us.

Shamelessly, if you are visiting and wouldn’t mind; please let me know you were here by leaving comments. I would sure welcome any encouraging words you may have.