Beeman's Better Deal

Blaze finishes his training sessions

Blaze - a flashy but steady Quarter Horse gelding - has finished two months of training with Margaret. His owner Elaine has been practicing during the training so she develops some new skills to take home with her. Blaze had a past as a working ranch horse, but along the way had picked up some tension and bad habits that Elaine needed help addressing.

Ulrich and Lisa have a weeklong intensive

Lisa and Ulrich spent a week at the ranch in mid June.

They drove each morning and worked on riding skills each afternoon. In between Ulrich had fun getting pampered in the wash stall and playing games with the resident geldings.

Ulrich is a Cleveland Bay/Andalusian/Arab cross, and makes a very handsome and cooperative driving horse. Lisa and Ulrich also posed and demonstrated basic harness training exercises for some upcoming articles Margaret and Ona are writing for Rural Heritage.

Lisa test-drove the new Bunkhouse, which is almost done being renovated to take paying guests. It's an ideal place to stay for students bringing their horses in for training, but will be open to non-horsey guests, too.

Drill team 2010!

We finally had a new drill team workshop, to everyone's delight. Everyone in this group likes to trail ride and I use the drill team exercises to help them learn how to keep their horse's attention with the rider no matter the direction, speed or configuration of the group. It is fun and productive for all. 

You may recognize Merra (Arabian) and Dawn (Morgan in this clip. The group consists of a 3yr. old, 2 4yr. olds, a 7, and an 11 year old.

 

Here's the final exercise, after a few practice runs:

New Driving Safety Series in Rural Heritage Magazine

Several of the ranch horses-in-training have been featured in a series of articles in Rural Heritage magazine. In the articles Margaret describes exercises that can help a driver learn to plan ahead, communicate with his or her horse, and prepare the horse for the scary or challenging things they may come across. The first article demonstrated a useful yielding exercise, the second taught the importance of installing a good "whoa," and in the next issue developing good, clear communication through the reins will be the focus.

Future articles in the series will include introducing the horse to the cart and dealing with a variety of scary objects. The articles are illustrated with photos detailing how to do the exercises, and various horses including Solo, Dawn and Bodhi, have been put to use as models.

The series began in the April 2010 issue.

Rural Heritage magazine is available at Tractor Supply Company or other farm stores and larger bookstores, and has a website at www.ruralheritage.com.

'Merra and Dawn go home

'Merra and Dawn finished their three months of training and headed home this month. Both made excellent progress from preliminary ground work and manners to work under saddle in the ring and on the trail. It's always rewarding to see young horses come along in their training.

'Merra and Dawn's owner reports they are enjoying trail riding at home now. She said both are listening and following her lead very well.

Photos: Dawn (above) and 'Merra (below) on their last day at Broken Wheel Ranch.

Online shows: fun, affordable and challenging!

A student and I tried out an online event this month: the virtual shows offered by the International Performance Horse Development Association. The shows are structured around a series of training levels with patterns designed to test the basics of a horse's abilities as he develops towards being a good "broke" riding horse. Though the founder of the event comes from a reining background the levels cover training skills that apply to various riding disciplines, and some participants have English backgrounds as well as Western.

The patterns are fun and challenging, and having virtual shows (you video tape your ride and send it in on deadline for judging) lets you have the benefits of being judged at a show (including prizes and critiques from professionals) without having to spend lots of time and money. Participants might ride in their front yard in the snow or in an indoor ring - there is no requirement there. The judging is based on the responsiveness of the horse to the rider's requests, so the exact size and layout of the circles, the length of the straight line, and the outfit you are wearing do not come into play.

You can find out more about the "V-shows" at the IPHDA website, and you can read more about how founder Rod Miller developed the idea in this article on Global Horse Culture.

Watch Yourself Work

Thanks to the students and boarders at Broken Wheel Ranch there is now a brand new mirror in the indoor arena - great for analyzing your position and seeing how your horse is moving.

2009-2010 Winter Workshop Series

Note: please click this update for the January schedule: UPDATE

The Goshen workshops went well when the weather held but it is getting harder and harder to be consistent with the shorter days and colder weather. I would like to start a training level group here at the ranch where it would be more comfortable and consistant for learning. I will set it up so that you would not have to transport your horse here. Each week you would learn a concept and go home and apply it to your own horses and situations. The following week we would review your experience and build on it. This way your winter

season can be a preparation of the spring riding season and that fury beast out in the pasture will be a partner who knows his job as opposed to a 1000lb package that needs to be unwraped and assembled!Cost would be $20.00 per session. The time can remain Friday at 4:30 or we can arrange another time that will accommodate the group. If you are interested in this program please, let me know and I will schedule the weekly sessions.

You will also find attached a class list for the 2010 WINTER HORSEMANSHIP COMPETITIONS. We have tentatively scheduled these for the 3rd Sunday of the month in January, February, and March. All classes will have cash payback. There will be a seasons end high point award for each class along with Grand and Reserve Champion Awards. Cost is $125.00 per competition and includes a hot lunch. Spectators are welcome. I encourage training level and beginning students to attend these competitions. It's a great learning experience, lots of fun, and the competitors love to be cheered along.

AND FINALLY! There will be a horsemanship workshop held Sunday morning October 25th. At this workshop we will go over the criteria included in this newsletter. We will also go over the HORSEMANSHIP COMPETITION class list and I will answer any questions there are about it. A full packet including diagrams, release forms, and entry forms will be available at that time. Please let me know if you plan to attend unmounted or with your horse.

Goshen Workshop

A torrential rain the morning of the second Goshen Workshop forced us to cancel. The first Goshen Workshop was well attended and everyone did a fine job with their horses. Let's hope for a dry day in July!

Deb finally gets the canter when she wants it!

Bud learns to take an interest in things.

 

Thanks to Rob we had a comfortable relaxed working environment.

GAMES FOR WINTER

I don't know about you, but I like to keep warm in the winter when I'm working my horses and when you are confined to a 60 x 120 indoor space that can become a challenge. There has been some interest in GAMES ON HORSEBACK so I decided to make it the theme of this winter workshop series.

Here Michael is practicing the Flag Race. He must keep his horse moving forward and soft to the left while he is reaching over to take the stick out of the bucket.

 Games are a great way to hone your horsemanship skills as the smoother your run, the faster your time. A smooth run requires you to prepare your horse for what you are about to do so you don't go too far past things or turn too soon. You also get to practice on your balance.

 

Here is some of what the folks had to say about GAMES ON HORSEBACK.

"I really enjoyed the winter games workshop today. For me it was especially interesting to note that the competition aspect of the drills changed the way I focus. It was fun to develop a relationship to the horse in which we were both part of a team. I could sense that Babe was attuned and responsive to the environment much more so than if we were just riding around the ring doing our walk, trot, canter. What fun!"   M.N.

"The workshop was a blast. I was surprised at the different challenges the games presented. The pony express relay presented a whole different challenge, as it was quite difficult to think about keeping pace with my partner, steering, and handing over the rope in the right place. It was a great way to work on some challenging skills while having a lot a fun!"   O.K.