Here are some students and Jack and Paula Teaching

Learning Opportunities with Jack and Paula include:

Lessons on your own horses:  Trailer your own horse in for a private lesson to brush up on your horsemanship skills, solve a problem, prepare for a show, learn a new skill etc...  We can take you and your horse to the next level in whatever discipline you ride. 

Lessons on our horses:  We have a variety of lesson horses available; dressage, hunters, jumpers, reining, and barrel racing horses.  Let us know what your goals and ambitions are and we can find the right match for you.

Semi-private clinics:  These clinics are geared towards those of you who would like an in depth horsemanship experience.  Spend the day with Jack and Paula as they give you hands on instruction.  Watch them work with various horses and experiment with various techniques on your own horse or one of the lesson horses.  This format covers a multitude of topics allowing more time and a broader topic range than a regular lesson.  It gives the student an opportunity to process, absorb, and then practice what they have learned.

Horse and/or rider evaluation:  This is available to those who wish to have an evaluation of themselves or their horse (or both as a team). Any questions are addressed, and suggestions are made as to what areas are needed for improvement.  Specific exercises may be suggested to aid in improvement.

Horsemanship Weeks:  Full week long or weekend sessions.

Goals for students

• Develop a thought process when working with horses. 

• Become self sufficient and confident around horses.

• Understand the whole horse (mental, physical, emotional, spiritual)

• Develop their ability to use feel when working with the horse. 

• Demonstrate safety at all times.

Working around horses and riding can offer the student:

• A greater understanding of oneself and how our actions can influence another being for the better or the worse.

• An Understanding non verbal communication and the importance of it.

• An better ability to form relationships built on trust, respect and friendship.

• Respect of oneself and another being.

• An Understanding of feel.

• Team working skills.

• Relaxation.

• Physical fitness and Body Awareness.

• Stress Relief.

• Confidence.

• Leadership Skills.

• Focus.

• Responsibility.

• Problem solving skills.

• A feeling of accomplishment.

• FUN!

On the Ground

When starting with a new student, no matter what age and level, we begin with reading the horse. By teaching the student how to interpret the subtle language    and nuances that  the horse uses to communicate, they will be better able to accomplish later tasks. We teach each student the importance of using the correct Feel when working with the horse.

 From there we will show the student from the ground how to communicate direction, speed and distance to the horse. (this may be done in the paddock, on line, in a roundpen, or an open arena).  We begin with exercises that allow the student to experiment with directing of the horses focus, and becoming able to influence the horses movements. The student is taught how to ask for particular movements by proper positioning and timing of the aids.  (see Ground School page)  Once the student is familiar with the way the horse operates his feet, and demonstrates an ability to read the horse and control his movements we begin work in the saddle.

In the Saddle

We begin on the lunge line.  The student is taught how to go with the horse and harmonize with his movements.  Only when the rider is able to get with his horses movement, is he able to direct it.  The student will learn to call cadence, learning where each hoof is at any given moment at all gaits, later this will help the rider time his aids correctly. Balancing exercises are also done on the lunge so the rider can find a centered seat without the worry of controlling the horse. Through various balancing exercises the rider learns to be confindent in their ability to stay with the horse even when they are not in a balanced or centered position. This way the rider will never use the reins (i.e. the horses mouth) to balance.

Lungeing will be revisited again and again through the students education to better their balance, seat, and ability to harmonize with the horse.

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