LIGHT HANDS HORSEMANSHIP CLINIC 2010

by Betsy Viets-Wallen

 

Have you ever attended an event that you enjoyed so much that you didn’t think it could get any better? That is how I felt after attending the 2009 Light Hands Horsemanship Clinic last year. Returning this year I knew I would enjoy it, but I wondered how much better could it get? Well . . . it was awesome!

 

The fourth annual clinic, which was presented by Tom Spalding and Spalding Fly Predators, was held the weekend of May 20-23 in lovely Santa Ynez Valley, California at Intrepid Farms. Art Perry, owner of Intrepid Farms, who has hosted the event since its inception, opened his gorgeous home and grounds to a crowd of over 150 who came to watch, learn and be inspired by a legendary group of horsemen who are known throughout the world for their expert horsemanship skills. This year attendance was up 25% and attendees came from across the United States as well as Poland, France, Hungary, Argentina, Brazil, Canada and Australia.

 

The entire event was organized by Debbie Beth-Halachmy, who along with her staff made it her mission that everyone enjoyed themselves. High end vendors marketed their wares, delicious catered lunch and dinners were served throughout the event, along with great entertainment from local musicians. But of course the main reason for the event was to learn and gain knowledge from the panel of horsemen assembled for the weekend. You would be hard pressed to go anywhere and have access to the number and quality of horseman that were present over this weekend. These fine horsemen included Dr. Robert Miller, Lester Buckley, Eitan Beth-Halachmy, Jon Ensign, Jack Brainard, Richard Winters, Monty Roberts and the MC for the event Rick Lamb.

 

This year the clinic expanded to four days. The opening day guests were invited to tour the private Museum of the Cowboy, which has an incredible collection of saddles, bits, spurs and many other fascinating items that help paint a picture of the settlement of California and the Santa Ynez area. After this informative tour, clinic attendees made their way to the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum and Carriage House, which further defined and explained the settlement of the area with their large collection of wagons and carriages. In the afternoon, host Art Perry delighted visitors with his Intrepid Museum, which has a comprehensive collaboration of Morgan history, as well as wonderful equine antiques and collectibles from around the world. This history packed day was followed by a welcome reception and lecture by MC and host of RFD-TV’s The Horse Show, Rick Lamb.

 

The next three days, clinic attendees were literally bombarded with knowledge from the clinicians. “Lightness” of course was the theme for the entire clinic, and each clinicians put there own stamp on it, demonstrating how to start a young horse with Richard Winters to developing the rhythm and cadence of a finished horse with Jack Brainard. Along the way guests were treated to demonstrations of Western Dressage by Jules Adams and an Azteca Stallion. This is a new division recognized by AMHA and USEF that is now being included in many Morgan shows. There was also an entertaining talk by Monty Roberts who displayed his “light” touch, riding his horse with fishing line as reins.

 

Eitan Beth-Halachmy entertained the crowd with the palomino Morgan Indigo Gold, who along with Santa Fe Renegade will be representing the Morgan breed at the World Equestrian Games this September in Kentucky.

 

World Champion, WH Zimbabwe wowed the crowed with clinician Lester Buckley, who demonstrated how to apply dressage principles to everyday riding for all horses. Dr. Robert Miller, who developed and named foal “imprinting” as we know it today spoke on predatory behavior, and “why lightness is the exception, not the rule of horsemanship.” Jon Ensign impressed the audience showing the progress that can be accomplished on a 30-90 day broke horse, ending the clinic with a young horse walking through tarps, over bridges, and roping a simulated cow.

 

After informative sessions during the day, clinic attendees were treated to ranch style cooking with delicious catered dinners. Evening entertainment included presentations from Petrine Mitchum and Hollywood Horses, Cowgirl Poetry and an informative talk on “Horseman of the Past-Forefathers of a Revolution”. On Saturday evening everyone gathered around for “The Campfire and Tall Tales”. This particular event has become an underground hit, and the story tellers, including Dr. Robert Miller, Jack Brainard, Sheila Varian and Ernie Morris heralded some of the funniest and most memorable moments of the clinic!

By the end of the four day event, everyone was literally stuffed with knowledge and I heard more than a few people talking who were excited to get home and apply some of what they had learned over the weekend. All the clinicians were delightful to listen to and each of them shared their own brand of horse wisdom, all following a “light” approach to working with your horse regardless of the seat or discipline. For those who enjoy attending clinics and are interested in expanding their knowledge, this clinic simply cannot be beat. Intrepid Farms was an idyllic backdrop for the event. Clinic attendees received red carpet treatment throughout the weekend and the wealth of knowledge that was available was tremendous. Planning is already in progress for next year’s event, which will be held May 19-22, 2011. Debbie reports she has two additional clinicians to join the already elite panel. The best just keeps getting better!

visit: www.morganconnect.com

LHH 2010 was over the top!! Best one yet and this is only our 4th. I
can't even remember all the big names who were there, but there were a
bunch. Of course, we have the foundation group of clinicians: Dr. Bob
Miller, Eitan, Lester Buckley and Jon Ensign. Our guest clinicians this year
were Monty Roberts, Jack Brainard and Richard Winters.

A real treat was when our wonderful MC Rick Lamb gave a PowerPoint presentation and talked of horsemanship from centuries ago until now. It was fascinating to see
that many natural horsemanship methods have been used for hundreds of years.

Eitan was the comedian of the bunch and while the audience cheered him on
Debbie was caught by complete surprise as Eitan had not told her of his comedy presentation. He did a kind of parody of natural horsemanship trainers. One of his bits was the stick, aha but no; the shtick. He had a dozen or so shticks in a bag and pulled them out and described their magical qualities. He used his lovely palomino, Indy as his
clinic horse and showed how he warms Indy up in the round pen, long lining,
etc. The next segment with Eitan he rode Indy and did some piaffe and
passage and talked about how he taught it.

Dr. Bob talked about his imprint training and handling the horse from birth
to training age. Richard started a youngster who had been handled, but not
started with round pen work or under saddle. Jon showed how he works with a
horse [he brought one with him] after it has been started. You know we often
see clinicians who show how to round pen a youngster, how to saddle and
the first ride. After that the next thing you see is the horse all trained.
This all important step was filled in my Jon. He had the trust of the horse
and used that and his remarkable skill to navigate a bridge and the obstacle
that Craig Cameron uses with the strips of plastic hanging down like a
curtain. I think it is called a “car wash.” I was so impressed that Jon got thatcolt through there in just a few minutes. Lester gave his best presentation ever. He is a former working cowboy and cutter and has worked on some of the biggest cattle ranches in the world, the King Ranch and the Parker Ranch. He is now a top notch dressage rider and trainer.
 He rode WH Zimbabwe and really wowed the crowd. Lester and
Zimbabwe  had just met, but when you put an incredibly talented trainer on a well
trained Morgan, you get an exciting performance. He explained everything
that he was asking Zimbabwe and how Zimbabwe was responding. His best clinic ever!!
Jack Brainard gave a lesson to up and coming trainer Jewels Adams on her
Azteca stallion. What a great thing for me to see that even a trainer whom I
admire greatly learned some new things. I don't feel so incompetent, now.
Jack is the master of the flying lead change and really put Jewels on
task with learning about footfalls and where each foot is in order to set
the horse up for any maneuver. He also talked about cadence and how it must
be understood to help your horse perform at his best.
Following that, Jewels demonstrated a performance of two tests of the new
American Cowboy Dressage Association. This new division is official and
promises to be an exciting addition to the horse show scene.

Our meals were catered by Los Olivos Market. My first ever Kobi beef
hamburger! OMG! It rivals anything I have raised on my own ranch! Yum yum.
They had BBQ for lunch and dinner with all the trimmings. Pork, chicken,
beef, vegetables, fruit, potato salad. Oh I am gaining weight just talking
about it.

Our campfire evening was changed to a panel discussion due to the ferocious
winds. Dr. Robert Miller, Jack Brainard, Lester Buckley, Shelia Varian, Monty Roberts and Ernie Morris talked about great horses of their pasts and old cowboy movies and the horses who were featured in them. So many stories were shared I can't begin to remember any of them. I laughed so hard I cried.

Our entertainment [like we needed more!!?] was Ron Miller, an accomplished
musician who can play guitar and sing like nobody's business. I could listen
to him for hours.

I have babbled on quite a bit here and haven't even touched on everything.
It was truly a one of a kind experience. There are more highlights on the
website: www.lighthandshorsemanship.com

If you want to learn from some of the top trainers in the country, be
treated like a guest, not just an attendee, meet some exciting people from
all over the world and eat like there's no tomorrow, you'd better plan to
attend next year. I work and I work hard there [lost 5 pounds in 7 days],
and love every minute of it. I would be remiss if I failed to mention our
gracious host Art Perry and his exquisite rose adorned estate. Unfortunately
Art fell and broke his wrist a few days before the clinic, so was not up to
his usual vivacious self, but ever the consummate host he seemed to be
everywhere all at once.

Also to be mentioned is our generous sponsor Tom Spaulding of Spaulding Labs
and Fly Predators. Without Tom's financial assistance this event would not
be the spectacular and quality affair that is has become.

OK, I'm done. Sorry it's so long, it's just that this is something I
thoroughly enjoy and totally believe in. I don't get excited about too many
things, but this is sure one of them.

Oh, did I mention the Vendors….I wanted something from all of them!

Teri Personeni
Terob Morgans
Nevada City, CA
www.terobmorgans.com
 

This is excellent and a must read for anyone who is a student of  Natural Horsemanship.  Dr. James Warson is a retired Neuro-Surgeon and horseman who now uses his knowledge to help horses and riders throughout the country.  He is also the author of The Rider's Pain Free Back, For more very enlightening articles by Dr. James Warson and information on his book visit: thinlineglobal.com/blog/

The sooner the better

In today's horse world, the operative concept is “natural horsemanship” This concept involves a light handed approach to training and being with horses, abandoning some of the older more punitive methods. The idea is one of the  development of a learning relationship over time in which the human tries to understand horse thought processes and uses this understanding to guide the horse into desirable  behavior patterns. This is a monumental task, since a human on a horse's back arouses the instinctive fear that the horse is about to become the entree on a predator's menu. Dedicated clinicians like Dr. Robert Miller have recognized the importance of  imprinting at birth and continuing the association and learning during life. Here's the science of why he's right, and why you don't just turn out a weanling and “get to him” via breaking techniques when he's 4 or 5.

The brain is the most marvelous of all our organs. It not only grows in size during childhood, but also grows in the connections between nerve cells. If you take a child or a very young animal and don't expose them to stimuli over time, their brains average about 20% smaller than those of stimulated animals. With an electroencephalograph, we find that there is about 15% less electrical activity in those smaller unstimulated brains. This is all because stimulation produces responses, and these produce both electrical and anatomical connections. These connections can be seen microscopically as dendrites, finger-like projections from the ends of nerve cells through which they “talk” to other nerves. One of the reasons why learning takes time is that these networks take time to grow physically. The reason why your horse learns to respond quicker the second training session is  that this “highway” construction has begun. Once the brain has developed this plasticity, bad behavior patterns can be remodeled, so long as the stimulus is not so close that it triggers the undesired behavior. Some stimuli can't be overcome. The phrase “pass the buck” comes from cavalry riders who sought mounts in the wild. They would not try a horse with the scars of a previous mountain lion attack, because they were always unrideable. They would pass on that one, or “pass the buck”. We don't inflict this experience on our horses, but some, like sacking out, do nothing but imprint resentment and hostility. Exercise your muscles and you develop strength. Exercise your brain and you develop knowledge.

We ask a lot from a horse's brain. It's about the size of a 6 ounce soup can, but it is a mammalian brain nonetheless. Your horse's brain grows both physically and in complexity when you stimulate it responsibly. Positive contact and reinforcement through acceptable rewards can produce learning and  enlighten both horse and human. Don't underestimate the horse's intellect. Remember – they're smart enough not to bet on humans. Keep riding.   JSW

Full Week Ranch Clinic in Bozeman, Montana

 

We still have some open spots for the 2010 Ranch Clinic in Montana, July 19-23^rd.  Bring your horse out to the stunning Gallatin Valley in Montana for a very unique and amazing clinic. Both horse and rider will develop skills as they work through various aspects of ranch work including working cows, sorting, penning, roping, and possibly even branding. This 5-day clinic will be a special combination of Jon's horsemanship clinics and having the rare opportunity to truly ride like a cowboy. Be prepared to ride long and hard, through beautiful hills, mountains, meadows and streams. This will be both an unforgettable and demanding experience.

 

$1000 for the week.  Horse and people boarding are available for an additional expense. Deposit and registration form required.  Please contact Denice Thurston at dthurs@yahoo.com or (206) 276-7668 for more information.

 

Colt Starting and Horsemanship Clinic Series @ Mission Farrier in Snohomish WA

 

Colt Starting/Horse Re-starting Clinic, August 12 – 15^th, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. daily, $500

 

This clinic is for unstarted young horses, or an older horse that needs to be restarted.  The first two days of the clinic will center on exercises to get your horses’ respect on the ground and desensitize him to behaviors and things that he will encounter during the first saddling and ride.  During the next two days, we will use these exercises to saddle and ride!  This is four-hour a day, four-day clinic.  We will take frequent breaks as we do not want to push a young horse too fast too soon.  We have found this extended clinic session to be very successful.  It builds trust and respect between horse and human; we feel it is what sets Jon’s clinics apart. 

 

Horsemanship I, August 14 – 15^th, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, $200

 

In this clinic we will refine exercises both from the ground and from horseback to build a softer feel, quicker, more accurate responses and a stronger partnership with your horse.    Bring a good attitude and be prepared to work on your horse and horsemanship.  This is a three-hour a day, two-day clinic.

 

For those of you interested in either the colt starting or horsemanship clinic, please contact the clinic sponsor, Karen Plumlee, as soon as possible.  Karen’s email is missionfarrierschool@hotmail.com or her cell is (425) 985-8321.  Limited boarding options are available on a first come, first serve basis.

 

Private Lessons

 

Private lessons will be available August 9 through 15^th.  Please call Jon directly at (406) 570-9779 to schedule these appointments.

 

Colt Starting and Horsemanship Clinic Series in Edmonton, AB, Canada

 

Colt Starting/Horse Re-starting Clinic, August 19 – 22^nd, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. daily

 

Same description as above.

 

Horsemanship I, August 20 – 22^nd, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily

 

Same description as above.

 

For those of you interested in either the colt starting or horsemanship clinic, please contact the clinic sponsor, Tara Gamble with Tara Gamble Horsemanship.  Tara’s email is tara@tghorsemanship.com or her cell is (780) 945-7516.  Limited boarding options are available on a first come, first serve basis.

 

New Clinic and Sponsor announced in Northern California!  Welcome Napa Valley Horsemanship!

 

2-day Workshops and Friday Night Demo @ Blossom Creek Farm in Calistoga, CA

 

Session #1, September 11th and 12th, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. daily, $295

 

This session will cover advanced ground skills, foundations for riding, address any trouble spots, and finish with a riding component.

 

Session #2, September 11^th and 12^th, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. daily, $295

 

This session will focus on softness, collection, and responsiveness in your horse and is geared towards riders who have a safe, well-started horse to ride in a group setting.  English and western horses welcome!

 

Auditing available both day; $35 per day and $50 for both days.

 

Friday Evening Demo

Jon will also offer a 1-hour free demonstration of his techniques, Friday, September 10^th, from 6 - 7 p.m.  RSVPs are required.

 

Deposit and registration form required for clinic participation.  Please contact Jennifer with Napa Valley Horsemanship (www.napavalleyhorsemanship.com) at (707) 799-2103 for more information.

 

Colt Starting and Advanced Horsemanship @ Maple Ridge Stables in Guilford, Vermont

 

September 23^rd – 26^th, 2010

 

Please contact the clinic sponsor Heidi Potter at (802) 380-3268 for more information.

You can visit www.jonensign.com for more details.

 

I will be getting the 2011 LHH website ready for business this fall. If any of you wish to register early just email me at: eitan@foothill.net and I will get you all taken care of. The clinicians will be the same and the new dates are May 19-22. Hope to hear from you.

I had spinal surgery on June 15th and am healing nicely.  My most recent book is out, The Passion for Horses and ArtisticTalent, An Unrecognized Connection, and is being well received. Western Horseman will be reviewing it. I am working on another book, a manual for veterinary personnel on handling equine patients. I will also be useful for anybody who has to doctor their own horses. I am also doing a new video on lameness, its causes and prevention.

Debby and I are looking forward to getting our palomino Morgan Mare, "Bea", shipped down here soon from Wolf Creek Ranch. She was generously given to us by Ellen DiBella to replace my wife's horse "Smokey" who was partially paralyzed in an accident. I've always loved Morgans. Now I own one!

We wish we could be in Lexington for the FEI World Equestrian Games, especially to see Eitan perform on Santa Fe Renegade, assuming I continue to heal from spinal surgery, we have a busy schedule.

August 2/3 I participate in a symposium on handling equine patients at the annual convention of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). That will be in Atlanta, GA.  Then a week later we fly to Hawaii for the annual Hawaii Horse Exposition on the Big Island. We love that event every August!  In Sept. we are doing seminars in Norway and Poland on Equine Behavior. In Oct. we been asked to judge the "Project Cowboy" in Fort Worth, a new event  produced by Tootie Bland of "Road to the Horse" fame.  And there goes the summer of 2010. More than anything else I look forward to riding again. I have really missed it.

For more news from Dr. Robert Miller visit his website at: www.robertmmiller.com. Be sure to sign up for his informative news letters.

The 2011 dates for our winter/spring sessions for our Cowboy Dressage School of Horsemanship are:

Jan 10-14, 24-28
Feb 7-11, 14-18
March 7-11, 21-25
April 4-8, 25-29
May 2-6, 9-13

We only take 4 riders for ( you can bring your own horse or ride one of ours) each session and they do fill up quickly each year so plan ahead and book now.

Go to http://www.cowboydressage.com/school/info.html  for more details and information.

Collection, Engagement and Headset.
What is What in the World of Cowboy Dressage?

One of the things I most often find myself doing at clinics is talking a lot about Collection and defining it. There are so many misconceptions that it always needs clarification.

For some Collection is determined by he headset of the horse. They believe that if the head is perpendicular to the horse that it is “Collected.”

Many riders confuse Engagement with Collection. For me they are two totally different things.

In this article I will discuss what each one actually is in hope that many of you will understand the difference between the three. I will keep it very simple and basic so that it is easy to understand.

Engagement/Disengagement

Engagement is not to be confused with Collection.Engagement is when the horse steps deeper under himself towards his center of gravity. Disengagement is where the horse’s step that falls behind the hip/tail is longer than the step taken under the horse towards his center of gravity. This is also considered a“Hollow Back” horse. An easy way to determine if a horse is Engaged or Disengaged is to draw an imaginary line from the top of the tail to the ground. When a horse takes a step the ground covered in front of the line should be longer than the step behind that line.

Breeds such as Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods are as a rule naturally Engaged due to their conformation and strength of their back.

Collection

For a horse to be truly “Collected” he needs to lower his croup by bringing his hind legs forward and as a result the withers will elevate. So a Collected horse moves with an elevated withers and a lowered croup.

Saddlebreds, Morgans, Arabians and similar breeds are often horses that must be schooled and developed in Collection to achieve it.

The whole goal of Engagement and Collection is tore-distribute the weight of the horse to keep him in balance. By moving some weight to the hindquarters it frees up the front end of the horse and takes some of the weight off of the front legs helping him to stay sounder longer.

Collection

Headset

If the horse is Collected or Engaged properly the horse will carry his head in the right place. The bit alone does not determine where the head of the horse will be. It is the Engagement or Collection of the horse that allows the horse to put his head in the proper position. To do this the rider must use their hands, legs and seat to encourage the horse to move up under itself (often referred to as riding the back leg of the horse) allowing for more weight to be carried on it’s back end thus freeing up the front end to move freely and in balance. In simple terms you want to ride your horse from the back end towards the front end, not the other way around.

You can have a horse’s “head set” but he may be Hollow Backed and Disengaged and not Collected at all.  This is considered a “false headset” and not desirable.

Light Hands Horsemanship IV expanded to 4 days and was a huge success. A record number of guests attended arriving from 14 states and Australia, France, Poland, Hungary, Brazil, Argentina and Canada. Even Hawaii joined us this year. Tom Spalding of Spalding-Labs and Fly Predators is the events sponsor. He is the motor...behind LHH. The sun was out and the wind blew but spirits were high and the magic of the entire event built each day. Clinicians Dr. Robert Miller, Jon Ensign, Road to the Horse winner Richard Winters, Lester Buckley, World Equestrian Games 2006 and 2010 participant Eitan Beth-Halachmy, Jack Brainard ( recent inductee into the NRHA Hall of Fame) and world renowned horseman Monty Roberts headlined the all star line up of talented teachers and presenters. Rick Lamb of the Horse Show on RFD-TV has been the official MC each year and this year he gave two lectures on The 7 Key Qualities of a Good Horseman and Great Horsemen of the Past. Author Petrine Mitchum (Movie Star Robert Mitchum's daughter) joined LHH for her second year with a presentation of her fabulous documentary "The Hollywood Horses." Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductee and famed horsewoman Sheila Varian and well known author and traditional Vaquero Ernie Morris joined the group with stories and tall tales from the Campfire. The Campfire is guaranteed to leave you in tears of laughter... hilarious! There were celebrity sightings and laughter and wisdom shared by all.

The event was hosted by Art Perry a long time breeder of Morgan Horses at it's permanent location Intrepid Farms in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley. A Santa Maria style bar b q lunch and dinner was supplied each day by the popular Los Olivos Market. No one went hungry and the food was delicious. Musician and singer Ron Miller of Santa Maria kept us entertained with his wonderful voice and humor. A select group of vendors returned to LHH and brought their high quality merchandise. From saddle makers, jewelers and artists the best were there.

Once again the talent and teaching at LHH was over the top and extremely informative. The clinicians have become increasingly united and in touch with each other and their audience. The theme of LHH is that each person is a guest, not an auditor. People are treated as guests would be at a luxury resort. The atmosphere is open and relaxed. The clinicians are dedicated to their guests and easily accessible for questions and conversations. These horsemen are more than just superior talent and strong presenters, they are great educators and truly gifted in the art of teaching. Intrepid Farms is one of Santa Ynez's most beautiful estates. You really do feel as if you are at a horse resort.

The event was opened with appetizers and music after a day of private museum tours. Rick Lamb gave a very enlightening presentation on What Makes a Good Horseman. The next day the clinics began with a presentation by Dr. Robert Miller. From there each clinician took you through a progression of training steps from the first ride to the 90 day horse, the use of Dressage to build a solid foundation in any discipline to the schooling and training techniques of the advanced horse. Jack Brainard with help from Jewels Adams gave an excellent presentation on foot falls and cadence. Jewels Adams also rode two tests from the new and increasingly popular American Cowboy Dressage Association. She then treated everyone with a wonderful freestyle to music. For information on the ACDA visit www.cowboydressage.com/westernDressage.html. The division is official and the association is in the works.

Plans are under way for a very special LHH V in 2011. Look for a little "Vaquero" to be added to the line up of talent. The same clinicians will be returning for 2011 with new topics and a continuation of those presented in the past.

No where in the country can you find this line up of horsemanship talent on such an up close and personal format. LHH stays focused and committed to their guests.. it is all about them and their horsemanship needs.

For more information and coverage of our 2009 event pick up the June issue of Cowboys and Indians Magazine. Expect to see more of LHH on YouTube and a possible series on TV in the near future. Production by Emmy Award Winners Tom Spalding and Barry Landon are underway.

Plan to attend LHH May 19-22, 2011. We are approaching our limit of guests and expect to sell out in 2011. For more information visit www.lighthandshorsemanship.com. You can visit www.spalding-labs.com for information on Fly Predators. They really do work!!

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Comments from LHH 2010:

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I keep thinking back at how unique it was to have all of those fabulous horsemen together in one place- a very special experience. Thank you- Lisa Hoban

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Dear LHH Colleagues,

I think the wind was providential:  It meant to carry all of that horse wisdom and knowledge and experience all over the world.  I pray that this is so. -Susan Tomasini

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We enjoyed the conference.  I attend and present at many conferences and must say that yours has been one of my favorites.  I liked the laid back/down to earth approach and the smaller # of people in attendance.  We also appreciated the approachability of the presenters and being able to follow up with questions.  Rick Lamb as usual did a great job as emcee keeping everything on schedule.  You did a great job organizing the clinic.

Greg and Nettie Barr
Canadian Natural Horsemanship Inc

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Thank you so much for the great event in Santa Ynez. I came away inspired and refreshed, thanks again.I am back home now working horses everyday and trying out some of the more advanced techniques from Lester and Eitan.What an awesome event and what a great way for people to get involved with Natural Horsemanship in an intimate setting. I hope that I am able to return next year. Joe Turner, MT

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When can we sign up for 2011!!!  It was the best horse event I've ever attended.
Thank you so much.  Molly Hogan

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Thank you so much for all your hard work.  My husband and I thought the clinic was AWESOME!  In fact, my husband was so taken by it all that he signed us up for a week clinic with Richard Winters.  He had previously not been riding much and now he is all jazzed up again!  I am thinking of keeping a Quarter Horse mare I have had for years to try some cowboy dressage.  What fun!  I have further to go then she does.

The wind was worth it!  We will be sharing our experience and our pictures with our local riders at our meeting next week so I expect you to get many of them in next year's clinic!

Thanks again, Lynne and Ken Orloff

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More Photos and Updates to follow so stay tuned.

The Count Down Begins........8 days to LHH! The forecast is for "perfect" weather so be ready for sunshine. Remember that the mornings and evenings can be cool.  We have a great program for all of you and we at LHH look forward to sharing our 4th LHH with you all. Travel safe and we will see you there.

• 100% Natural Mineral Salt
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This is exciting. Ernie Morris will be joining Shelia Varian, Dr Robert Miller, Jack Brainard and Lester Buckley fireside at the Campfire on Saturday night. LHH had it's first Campfire Stories and Tall Tales last year. It was a huge hit. We laughed until we cried! Ernie will fit right in as he is a grand story teller. Ernie is one of the leading authorities on the Vaquero traditions and so is Sheila Varian. You won't want to miss these two. Dr. Robert Miller and Jack Brainard had us all just hysterical with laughter with their stories last year. They were so good we have asked them to tell them again. Lester is the youngster of the group but he too is a grand story teller. He has some whoppers to share. I have heard a few of them and it is amazing one so young has experienced so much. See you fireside. Ernie has a fabulous website. You can visit it at: www.elvaquero.com

Both Light Hands Horsemanship Clinicians Jack Brainard and Eitan Beth-Halachmy will be offering summer horsemanship sessions at their own ranches during the summer months of 2010. You can bring your own horse or ride one of theirs. This is an excellent opportunity to continue your Light Hands Horsemanship experience under these two great masters. Visit their websites for more information, dates and details.

You are encouraged to visit all the Light Hands Horsemanship Clinician's websites for continuing clinic dates and locations.

Light Hands Horsemanship clinicians Eitan Beth-Halachmy and Jack Brainard will be teaching Cowboy Dressage at The World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY Sept 25- Oct 10, 2010. You can find Eitan and Jack presenting daily at the Equine Village. Eitan will also be participating in the Opening Ceremony of the games and some of the Equine Entertainment that will be offered.  You will also be able to find our Light Hands Horsemanship MC and Speaker Rick Lamb of the Horse Show on RFD-TV at the Equestrian Village. Congratulations to all for this special achievement.

Dr. Robert M. Miller interview with clinician, trainer, and 2009 Road To The Horse winner, Richard Winters.

This year, Light Hands Horsemanship™ welcomes this acclaimed clinician, trainer, and owner of Richard Winters Horsemanship at The Thacher School (www.thacher.org). Richard is also the 2009 winner of Road To The Horse (an award designated for a colt-starting competition).  It’s an honor to have someone as accomplished as Richard be a part of the weekend.  We caught up with him to find out a bit more about what “lightness” means to him.

Q.  What made you decide to participate in the 2010 Light Hands clinics?

A.  I just knew that if people like Dr. Miller, Eitan, Rick Lamb, and the other clinicians were involved, it would be incredible. My wife Cheryl and I have wanted to attend for three years, but we’ve always had scheduling conflicts.  When I saw a DVD from a previous year, what struck me was the camaraderie between clinicians.  None of the clinics are doubled up, so you don’t miss anything- it has the feel of building, and establishing, a family.  It’s smaller, more intimate, and for the serious horseman and true students of horsemanship.  There’s a difference between horseback riding and horsemanship.

Q.  Meaning..?

A.  Horseback riding is just not falling off!  Horsemanship is for the individual willing to invest in themselves, so they can learn what their horse already knows.  Anyone can become a horseman, but you’ve got to put in the time.  Horses by nature want to get along with us, but they’re horses- they can’t understand us.  Therefore, we need to come to their level.

Q.  How did you get involved with horses?

A.  I’ve worked with them for over 30 years, but I didn’t grow up with them. I thought about working with them from an early age, so starting in grade school, I began riding my bike out to local stables, and began working as a “stable brat.” In high school, I began working with my mentor (as well as Pat Parelli’s): the late Troy Henry, of Clovis, California.

Q.  What does “lightness” mean to you?

A.  It’s a very subjective term, depending upon a person’s agenda and discipline. For me, it’s about engaging my horse in a conversation; the psychology of horsemanship. At Light Hands, I’ll be teaching a colt-starting clinic that focuses on how light hands begins on the ground, the first time you put a saddle on him. It progresses with each step- the first time you climb on his back, the first time you ask him to make a turn, etc. It’s all a part of that conversation you need to have going with your horse. 
For more information, go to www.wintersranch.com.

This article was taken from Robert M. Miller Communications - April 2010 Newsletter

Click here to read more of Dr. Miller's newsletters,

I’m not opposed to horse shows.  They were created, as were other domestic animal shows, for the “improvement of the breed.” Unfortunately, our greatest human failings-greed and ego-have corrupted all kinds of animal events.  Horse shows are just an example, because I can assure you that equally unethical and inhumane practices exist in competitions involving other species.

The goal of winning or making money makes greed the primary problem in the industry.  Ego is also involved, because to win strokes self-esteem, and heightens competitive spirit. The result of this is that we see, in all disciplines of horsemanship, terrible abuses which physically and/or mentally damage the horse. Here are just a few examples:

In dressage, the practice of rollkur (extreme over-flexion of the head and neck, and severe contact with the bit) is banned by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI).

“Examples of rollkur.” photos by Horses for LIFE magazine

The FEI just established distinction between rollkur and posture not achieved by force and aggressive hand-set, and has banned rollkur.  It has also been condemned in the book, Tug of War, and DVD, “If Horses Could Speak,” by German veterinarian and horseman, Gerd Heuschmann.  Western pleasure classes have, for many years, been corrupted by the “peanut rollers.” Horses are shown with freakish and artificial gaits, and the head is carried ridiculously low. Excessive weight is borne by the forelegs, which contributes to eventual unsoundness.  But- these practices profit the trainers.  Western reining and cutting are wonderful events, but the futurities, which once existed only in racing, now cripple thousands of horses.  The futurities, designed for three-year-olds, necessitate hard training of two-year-old colts whose bodies are rarely up to the task.  Millions of dollars go for joint treatments and medications to suppress inflammation and pain.

The most dramatic example of cruelty is the “big lick” in Tennessee Walking Horse classes, wherein grotesque and unnatural gaits are obtained by cruel and harmful methods. These include outlandish horseshoeing methods and the infliction of pain to the feet, although the practice of soring has been long-banned.

The responsibility for these industry abuses is shared by:

• The associations that allow them.
• By the trainers who use them.
• By the judges who approve of them.
• By the owners who are either indifferent, or willing to ignore them.

Unfortunately, what is acceptable at horse shows becomes a goal for casual riders, even if they don’t compete. “Lightness” does not come naturally to us. We are a predatory, tool-using species, so it is natural for us to use items such as whips, spurs, and bits, and to use them coercively and forcefully, like weapons.  Thus, the use of excessive force is innate in us as a species, and what is often seen in horse shows is regarded as a model to emulate.

It is for these reasons a “Revolution in Horsemanship” began in the last quarter of the 20th century, and is gradually sweeping the world.  It inspired me, and my co-author Rick Lamb to produce a 2005 book with that title, which explains the history of this revolution.  In 2007, I wrote a sequel, Natural Horsemanship Explained, which explains how lightness works, and why it is more humane.  That’s why the subtitle of this book is “From Heart to Hands.” LHH is also a more effective form of horsemanship.

LHH is an ancient practice, but it’s not prevalent.  Most riders throughout the world, in all disciplines, still use strong-arm force on the reins, inflicting agony upon the horse’s mouth.  That is, and should not, be the purpose of a bit.  If horses can be taught to turn, stop, and back up in a hackamore or halter, the only legitimate reason for a bit is to signal to the horse via its very sensitive mouth.

The reason so few of the prominent Natural Horsemanship clinicians participate in horse show events is because they deplore the “heavy hands horsemanship” much of this industry encourages.  With our LHH clinics, we hope to facilitate a gentler, kinder, more effective means of communicating with our horses.

This article was taken from Robert M. Miller Communications - April 2010 Newsletter

Click here to read more of Dr. Miller's newsletters,

For those of you who may not know, Jack Brainard had by pass surgery last Fall. This weekend Jack was back in the saddle giving a clinic in OK!  He is truly an amazing man.  For anyone this would be quite an accomplishment but Jack has seen many seasons come and go in his life...he is not a young man and I do not wish to tell his age but I  will tell you that he will have a new book out soon titled.."A Cowboy Remembers, The First 90 years."   Jack is an inspiration to all of us who in the "golden years" still dare to dream and live that dream.  We look forward to having this fine horseman back with us this year at LHH.

This is just the icing on the cake!  For years we had wanted famed horsewoman Sheila Varian to join us at Light Hands Horsemanship. Sheila is a very busy woman but this year the stars aligned and the LHH dates and Shelia's schedule worked out. Sheila will be sharing a few stories from her life at the "Campfire" as an avid horsewoman and breeder and exhibitor for over 50 years of beautiful Varian Arabian Horses.

Sheila has a long and illustrious career in the horse industry. She has bred and continues to breed some of the finest Arabian horses in the world. Her blood lines have worn the roses in all divisions from western and english to halter.  Being a breeder and competitor in the show ring is just one of the many highlights in Sheila's career. Sheila has so many honors that I would have to start a whole new blog just too list them all. One of her top honors was to be inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, TX in 2003. Below are listed just a few more of her accomplishments:

College graduate from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo & Physical Education teacher at Arroyo Grande High School for 3 years.

October 1961 - Sheila and her Arabian mare Ronteza won the Open Reined Cow Horse Championship at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California.  She was the first amateur, the first woman and had the first Arabian to take that title.

• College graduate from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo & Physical Education teacher at Arroyo Grande High School for 3 years.
• October 1961 - Sheila and her Arabian mare Ronteza won the Open Reined Cow Horse Championship at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California.  She was the first amateur, the first woman and had the first Arabian to take that title.
• 1969 -  Sheila trained and showed Bay Event (Bay-Abi++ x Ronteza) to open Reined Cow Horse Championships throughout California. 1971 & 1976 – Bay Event was twice US National Champion Arabian Stock horse, unanimous both times.
• 1983 - Sheila and Don Severa syndicate Huckleberry Bey++ for 3 million dollar

At present, three Varian bred horses named Lightly Bey V, Murietta V & Jubilation that she has trained in Hackamore to the Spade bit, Sheila does demonstrations about the old California Vaquero method of training horses, which take the horse from the Hackamore through the Two Rein  and finally into the Spade Bit.  These seminars have been held in the Court Yard of the Santa Inez Historical Society, at the San Julian Rancho outside of Lompoc California , the Will James Historical Society Convention held in Santa Barbara, California in 2002, in the Court yard of the Historical Adobe in Santa Barbara, and many other venues around California.

Mentors: 
Sid (Mary) Spencer:  Owner of a ranch in Lopez Canyon, California, where Sheila, in her teens, learned from Sid about training hackamore horses and spade bit horses and how to work cattle in the mountains. 

Tom Dorrance:  In the mid 1960’s, Tom spent time guiding Sheila into his now universal “soft approach,” which has had the most influence on her and the way she has trained and interacted with her horses.

Sheila has a superb website where you can find out more about her, her accomplishments (which are many) and her lovely horses.  Their Spring Fling is April 24th and 25th at their farm in Arroyo Grande and the Summer Jubilee is August 6th, 7th and 8th.... check out her web site at www.varianarabians.com  for more information.

 I have had some requests from those who wish to attend LHH.  They would like to help offset their costs by having someone to share a room and or a rental car with. If there is anyone of you who would like to look into this please let us know by leaving your email address in a "comment" to this post.  This way anyone interested can contact one another on their own. Just check back for updated comments.

An article by Elizabeth Kay McCall on LHH will be featured in the June issue of Cowboys and Indians Magazine.  It will be on the shelf in better grocery, western/equestrian stores and boutiques in late April.  Be sure to pick up your copy. I just saw the proof.... we are very excited. ~Debbie Beth-Halachmy