Location: Free Spirit Ranch, 18605 Birdseye View, Peyton, COInstructor: Jessee Province, local natural horsewoman/trainer and trail riderDates: at the first clinic the students will review the dates for clinics #2-4, and make changes if needed. Otherwise, if you can’t make one of the clinics, private lessons can be arranged with the instructor to keep you on track with the rest of the students.Clinic #1 Preparing Your Horse from the Ground, April 1, Sat, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Learning to play with your horse from the ground is an essential part of horsemanship and trail preparedness. This clinic will teach you to communicate with your horse in a way the horse understands, learn to read your horse, develop respect and trust, prepare your horse for riding, solve problems, develop responsiveness, and more. Did you know that most everything you want to do from the saddle you can do on the ground first? This is an excellent way to teach and be safe. Clinic fees: $90 (auditing $35)Clinic #2 Riding Basics, April 15, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Learn what you need to know to begin riding safely and effectively. This clinic will explain the importance of ground games in relation to riding, knowing when it’s right to get on and off, reading your horse, building confidence, saying focused, how to stay safe, and more. Techniques covered will be proper saddling and fitting, mounting and dismounting, developing an emergency stop, whoa and go buttons, rein use, applying pressure and timing the release, riding cues, and relaxation in the saddle (eliminate those sore knees and backs), and more. You must have experience with ground games to take this clinic. Clinic fees: $90 (auditing $35)Clinic #3 De-Spooking Your Horse, May 6, 10 a.m – 4 p.m. Help your horse become braver and calmer with spooky objects and environments – a very important key to safe trail riding. Learn the psychology behind spooky horses and the techniques to de-spook them. The morning session will be de-spooking from the ground. The afternoon session will apply the techniques from horseback. Bring spooky objects with you to use in class. You must have ground game and riding experience to take this clinic. Clinic fees: $90 (auditing $35)Clinic #4 Trail Riding: Fun and Safety, May 27, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Putting it all together – topics include safety, warm-up exercises, spooking, jigging, negotiating obstacles, proper tying, negotiating hills, trail etiquette, riding in groups, and more. Once we cover the basics and warm up in the arena, we will go on an instructive trail ride. You must have ground games, riding, and de-spooking experience to take this clinic. Clinic fees: $90 (auditing $35)Additional trail rides may be scheduled to support you as you increase your skills and confidence on trail.Note: Clinics #1 and 3 require a rope halter, 12′ lead, and training stick w/string. These can be rented from instructor the day of the clinic for $5, or purchased via www.silverdollarqh.com (give 2 wks for delivery)To register or for more information, contact Free Spirit Ranch at 719-749-0696 or e-mail jprovince@scip.net.
