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LATEST NEWS - NOVEMBER 19, 2009
ADVANCED TRAIL RIDING CLINIC
What a weekend! We spent the better part of the summer battling rain and thunderstorms. We figured we'd all be bundled up in our rain gear as we hit the trails over Labor Day weekend at the M Lazy C Ranch near Lake George, Colo. To the pleasant surprise of everyone, we had BEAUTIFUL weather each and every day! The temperatures were also very comfortable for the three full days on the trail.
We hit a combination of fairly mild trails and some more difficult trails during the clinic. Riders learned how to control their horse's speed on the trail, practiced emergency stops, learned how to ride in a group, practiced trail etiquette as well as navigating rocky portions of the trail, tightly-spaced trees and even some swampy areas. In addition, Debbie addressed any specific issues riders needed to work through such as horses being nervous in a big group and buddy sour horses.
Since many people arrived Thursday evening, we had a short campfire get-together where we got to know each other and share some snacks and horse stories.
Friday we got started with some trail safety issues and a short practice ride on the trail to see how the horses responded to being in a group. Jill Morgan from MannaPro continued her company's support of our clinics by presenting some great nutrition basics and how to best feed horses properly on a tight budget. She also presented riders with some Apple Flavor Wafers treats for their horses and a trial bag of Sho-Glo™ nutritional supplement.
Friday afternoon we hit the trail for our first longer ride. We rode some mild trails in the beginning and then worked our way up to some log crossings through the woods and several swampy areas. After a short rest, everyone enjoyed a great dinner prepared by the ranch staff before calling it a day.
Saturday we spent the whole day on the trail. The morning portion of the ride featured a several rocky climbs with some terrific views at the top. Riders were able to work on their hill climbing skills, including staying well-balanced in the saddle to help their horses climb and also being able to pick their horse's path through the rocks. The afternoon portion of the ride allowed the horses to rest a bit as we covered some more forested areas and some nice wide-open fields with more amazing views of the Tarryall Mountains.
After a long day on the trail, riders enjoyed an early award ceremony just before dinner. All riders received a certificate for completing the clinic. We also had a few door prizes for participants - a pommel pack with a clear pocket for storing maps, a trail training book and a ground training manual. In addition, Margi Evans graciously donated the second volume of her Riding Colorado II trail riding book. As a special surprise, Larry Killam who participated in our first apprenticeship program this year received an early graduation gift (see more under Apprenticeship).
Riders were treated to a hay ride and chuck wagon dinner Saturday evening. The folks at the M Lazy C Ranch really know how to put on a great dinner! We all enjoyed the steak dinner with all the fixings - including a terrific dessert! After dinner we were treated to live entertainment by cowboy singer Ted Newman. It was a great end to a long day of great people, horses and trails.
On Sunday we did some cross-country exploring, thanks to Mark's GPS. We again took in some fabulous views and covered a wide variety of terrain. The adventure of the day featured a steep downhill through tight trees and rocks. Once we all gathered at the bottom and realized there wasn't really anywhere to go from here, we all had the opportunity to practice a turn on the haunches to reverse direction and the line of horses and make our way back up.
We all had a great time and wish the weekend didn't have to end. We are planning on this clinic again next year so check back on our website for more details. We may offer another advanced trail riding clinic at a different location as well for those interested in seeing some other great scenery.
Last, but not least, a big THANK YOU to Jamie, Randy and Brenda as well as the rest of the staff at M Lazy C Ranch!!!
It's been quite a year this year! We've really enjoyed seeing our old friends and making new ones along the way. Check out our pictures in the Ranch Photo Album. Here's what we've been up to lately. . .
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
Congratulations to Larry Killam for his successful completion of our very first Apprenticeship program! Larry gained experience working with a wide variety of horses and riders by helping out with just about everything. From working the Expo booth, prepping horses for demonstrations, assisting with clinics and even cleaning a stall or two to even trailer loading training at the end of a long clinic weekend, Larry really worked hard at everything that came up. It was very rewarding to watch Larry improve his skills each day. And, his hard work was very much appreciated by me, Mark and all of our clinic participants this year. Check out Larry's website at www.horsegateministry.org.
If you are interested in participating in our apprenticeship program, please contact us for more information. We will only be accepting one or two people per year for this well-rounded program. In this program you'll learn to improve your training skills, improve your skills in working with horses as well as learning about how to run a business. We are now accepting applications for 2010.
COLT STARTING CLINIC
This June we offered our first 10-day colt starting clinic. We plan on offering this format on a permanent basis. Participants worked with their horses Monday through Friday during a two-week period. With a limit of four horses and riders, this class offers a tremendous amount of one-on-one help and great group support for all. This year's class offered a wide variety of horses to learn from. We had two mustangs who already had a considerable amount of ground work prior to the class. Terry and Jan brought Pancho and Little Girl all the way from Durango to take part in this class. In addition, we had a rescue horse who was being re-started. Lori's focus with Rhadé was building up his confidence in trust. Anne brought her home-bred Connemara pony Maggie who was a clean slate with just a bit of ground work as a youngster. Everyone worked very hard in the class and made great progress with their horses. While everyone started in the same place the first day of class, we made sure individuals were all allowed to progress at their own speed throughout the clinic.
Again, Larry was a huge help in this clinic providing assistance when people were needing some extra help, carrying tack and providing great moral support. Congratulations to everyone in this clinic who are off to a great start in Building The Horse Of A Lifetime™.
Check out the pictures in our Ranch Photo Album from this clinic. Thanks to Terry and Jan for providing most of the pictures for the site. There are a lot of pictures here, but they really show step-by-step some of the exercises we worked through with the different horses. If you're interested in a thorough, safe and non-traumatic approach to starting your young horse, join us next year for this clinic.
EXPO WRAP-UP
Front Range Equine Rescue hosted their Equine Educational Awareness Day May 16. Debbie presented Trail Dressage and Leadership on the Ground and in the Saddle. Thanks to everyone who comes out to support this great event. We really enjoy seeing you guys each year and meeting new folks as well. Congratulations to Hilary of FRER for putting together a successful event!
We enjoyed 4th of July weekend close to home at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo in Colorado Springs. We enjoyed meeting some great people and sharing great leadership and trail dressage techniques during the weekend. Although the rain cancelled some demonstrations during the weekend, our skills of working with the rain instead of against it paid off. Sunday afternoon our demonstrations turned into training talks right at our booth! Thanks to Jason Patrick and Jennifer Diamond for participating in our impromptu training roundtable.
We spent September 18-20 at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo in Ignacio, Colo. If you haven't been to this Expo, check it out next year. In just its second year, this Expo grew in leaps and bounds and had a lot to offer people of all interests. Debbie presented her "Leadership on the Ground and in the Saddle" demonstration each day. This demonstration continues to encourage owners and inspire them to become a high-performance leader for their Horse Of A Lifetime. Debbie also encouraged riders to take their trail riding to a higher level in Trail Dressage on Friday. Saturday was a big day as Mark's colt Hank made his official debut as a demonstration horse as Debbie taught "Keeping Things Positive with your Young Horse". Debbie unveiled a second new demonstration this weekend with "Fun Ways to Improve Your Training & Riding" on Sunday afternoon. A huge THANK YOU to Alan and Danielle for bringing your horses in and playing some games with us. A special thank you as well to Terry who jumped in feet first for the hula hoop exercise! We had a terrific weekend in Ignacio and thank everyone who stopped by to visit. Hope to see you all next year!
AMERICAN COMPETITIVE TRAIL HORSE ASSOCIATION (ACTHA)
Have you heard of this new group? ACTHA puts on trail rides that provide a fun but competitive environment and also benefit a non-profit equine rescue or therapeutic riding program. Although still in the beginning stages, this organization looks to put on some terrific trail rides throughout the country. This fall, Colorado was fortunate to have two of these rides - one near Alamosa and the other near Mancos. We headed down to the one in Mancos to find out first-hand all about it. The ride we did was put on by Cadence Therapeutic Riding in Durango and benefitted their great riding program. We had a ball!
ACTHA features both pleasure and open divisions as well as a "buddy rider" option for those who want to just ride along and not compete. The rides are very casual and feature six to eight judged obstacles. The obstacles are the only part of the ride that is competitive. Our group was about 15 horses and riders and everyone was supportive of everyone regardless of their riding and skill levels. We learned a lot during the weekend and hope to do some more of these rides. Cadence will be hosting another ride next fall so keep your eyes out for that one.
We will be setting up some clinics to help you learn about these rides and how to prepare you and your horse for the variety of obstacles you may encounter on these rides. Join us for some great fun and some great trail riding! If you are interested, please contact us for more information. Also, if you are part of a non-profit organization and are interested in hosting a ride, please contact us and we can help you put together a clinic ahead of time to help prepare riders for this new adventure. Check out ACTHA's website at www.actha.us.
As a side note, CONGRATULATIONS to Mark and his horse Tucker!!!!! They took 5th place in the Open competition at this ride.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
As if we didn't have enough going on in September, I also had the incredible opportunity to head out to work with John Lyons again in Parachute, Colo. Classy and I worked one-on-one with John for two solid days in the comfort of his indoor arena. We worked on better collection and self-carriage, smooth transitions and flying lead changes. In addition, I also learned more ways of working with buddy sour horses and different methods for teaching basic riding techniques. To sum it up, "It was The Horse Experience Of A Lifetime with my Horse Of A Lifetime!"
MISCELLANEOUS
We are now booking clinics for 2010. As look forward to the new year, we would love to work with you and your horse! Keep an eye on our Schedule section of our website for more information. Also, we are looking for people to host clinics next year. We specifically have interest in Fort Collins, Golden, Longmont, Colorado Springs, Durango and Grand Junction. We also travel out of state as well. If you are interested in hosting a clinic, please contact us at (719)748-8543 or info@debbiebibb.com.
Don't forget about our online store! We have a wide variety of products available, including gift certificates for your favorite horse person at Christmas time or other special occasion.
Have a great fall and may you Ride The Horse Of A Lifetime!
Debbie
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