Scroll on down for info on Lessons, Camps, Boarding, and Training!
Lessons
Lessons at my place -- Tuition Rates
$20/person/hour for group lessons of two or more people
$30/hour for private lessons
Payment
Payment is for the month is due when you arrive for the first lesson of that month. Please make out checks to West View Horsemanship. ***24-hour cancellation notice required or you will be charged for lesson time***
2016 Riding Waiver -click to view/print the required riding waiver prior to coming to ride.
Please bring:
1.Your signed waiver (required annually)
2.Wear long pants
3. Wear close-toed shoes (tennis shoes are okay if you don't have boots)
4. A bicycle helmet (if you have one)
The first lesson is typically a hands-on introduction to my training/teaching methods with a focus on safety around the horses. How quickly things progress from there is entirely dependent on the students-we move along at whatever speed he/she needs to stay comfortable and confident.
I teach my students everything they would need to know to have and maintain their own horse, including how to "train" a horse so they could have a better chance of preventing or fixing on their own any issues the horse may be having, instead of having to pay for a trainer. Because of this emphasis, some of the things I teach may be different from traditional lessons. Many of my techniques are similar to Clinton Anderson's methods. His DVD Horsemanship 101 is an excellent summary of those methods.
Winter Lessons at the Fairgrounds -- Tuition Rates
$30/person/hour for group lessons at the fairgrounds
$40/hour for private lessons at the fairgrounds
**Winter lessons are subject to the fairground's schedule.
$20/person/hour for group lessons of two or more people
$30/hour for private lessons
Payment
Payment is for the month is due when you arrive for the first lesson of that month. Please make out checks to West View Horsemanship. ***24-hour cancellation notice required or you will be charged for lesson time***
2016 Riding Waiver -click to view/print the required riding waiver prior to coming to ride.
Please bring:
1.Your signed waiver (required annually)
2.Wear long pants
3. Wear close-toed shoes (tennis shoes are okay if you don't have boots)
4. A bicycle helmet (if you have one)
The first lesson is typically a hands-on introduction to my training/teaching methods with a focus on safety around the horses. How quickly things progress from there is entirely dependent on the students-we move along at whatever speed he/she needs to stay comfortable and confident.
I teach my students everything they would need to know to have and maintain their own horse, including how to "train" a horse so they could have a better chance of preventing or fixing on their own any issues the horse may be having, instead of having to pay for a trainer. Because of this emphasis, some of the things I teach may be different from traditional lessons. Many of my techniques are similar to Clinton Anderson's methods. His DVD Horsemanship 101 is an excellent summary of those methods.
Winter Lessons at the Fairgrounds -- Tuition Rates
$30/person/hour for group lessons at the fairgrounds
$40/hour for private lessons at the fairgrounds
**Winter lessons are subject to the fairground's schedule.
Boarding
$180/month Includes hay twice a day in a group pen. Individual pen possible if you supply the panels. Current vaccinations and Coggins are required at owner's expense.
Horse Training
$500 for 30 days --price includes board with hay fed twice a day
$400 for 30 days if you supply the hay --This is not available at all times as access to the barn for hay delivery may be
limited due to snow levels or flood irrigation--please confirm accessibility before bringing a load of hay!
*Prices are for a full 30 days of hands on training, not just for one month. Thirty days of training will take 5 to 6 weeks to
complete with me working your horse 5-6 days/week.
**Minimum of 60 days required to start an unbroken horse
Boarding and/or Training Agreement Waiver -click to view/print the required waiver agreement prior to bringing your horse for training.
$400 for 30 days if you supply the hay --This is not available at all times as access to the barn for hay delivery may be
limited due to snow levels or flood irrigation--please confirm accessibility before bringing a load of hay!
*Prices are for a full 30 days of hands on training, not just for one month. Thirty days of training will take 5 to 6 weeks to
complete with me working your horse 5-6 days/week.
**Minimum of 60 days required to start an unbroken horse
Boarding and/or Training Agreement Waiver -click to view/print the required waiver agreement prior to bringing your horse for training.
My Training Philosopy
I am a huge believer in the value of groundwork. Correctly done groundwork establishes your leadership over your horse and simulates riding. It minimizes or eliminates problems under saddle before you even get on.
A horse that pushes into you, bites, steps on you, kicks or pins her ears at you is being disrespectful. If a horse is disrespectful and disobedient to you on the ground, why would the situation improve under saddle where you have even less control?
A horse is a herd animal that needs to establish a pecking order in order to feel safe. If your horse perceives that you are not in charge of the "herd", then he will step up as the dominant individual in your relationship with him. Horses learn to respect you as you ask them to move their feet in all directions.
I believe in taking the necessary time now to teach the horse correctly from the start, rather than pushing a horse through a lesson and ending up with more problems down the road. I "read" the horse's body language to determine how quickly I can progress with that particular animal. Some can move along quicker; others need more time. TIME and CONSISTENCY are what make a good horse.
Horses don't learn what we want from the pressure that we apply. They learn what to do when we release the pressure. For instance, if I ask my horse to back up and he just stands there and I quit asking, I have just taught him to stand still instead of back. I need to keep asking, and if necessary, keep increasing pressure until he backs. Then I release all pressure and the horse is rewarded by the absence of the pressure.
When I apply pressure, I do so in phases. I start with the smallest amount of pressure possible and then increase it (usually in counts of 4) until the horse responds appropriately. Eventually the horse will start to respond correctly with very little pressure.
I teach my horses systematically, each lesson building upon the last. This helps to increase the horse's trust in me, so that they are more willing to try for me when faced with something challenging. I want my horses to think about things, rather than just react to them.
I work each horse on both sides so that you have a balanced, respectful mount. Horses need long rides, wet saddle blankets, and concentrated training in equal doses. I strive to be very clear in what I am asking to make training easier for the horse to understand.
Owners are welcome and encouraged to come by and check on the progress of their horse. I strive to work each horse 5-6 days/week until we reach the full 30, 60, or 90-day training cycle. I not only train the horse, but will train the owner on how to do the exercises I have taught the horse. I will also provide suggestions on what to continue to work on once the horse goes home.
Ground Work Exercises
I'm often asked what kind of ground work I do. Below is a listing of the ground work exercises I utilize. I'm not going to go into an explanation of all of them in this post, so if there are questions about what a particular exercise is, please contact me. Many of them will be explained in future training posts or can be seen on video clips.
All of the exercises are designed to develop a calm, thinking, responsive mount. I do these exercises with all of the horses that come to me for starting. Horses that come to me for a tune-up will learn many of them. How much time I spend on each exercise or how quickly I go through the list depends on the horse. If a horse seems comfortable with an exercise, I check it off and move on. No sense drilling something they already know!
For convenience, I listed all Desensitizing and Sensitizing Exercises separately. In practice, I usually alternate a sensitizing exercise with a desensitizing one. I don't have a hard and set rule about the order I follow either. Again, it depends on the horse.
Training a horse takes time and patience, followed by consistent maintenance. There are gadgets out there that appear to help a horse overcome a problem, but I've found those gadgets usually mask the problem without overcoming the underlying cause. I would rather take the time to train a horse correctly from the start, than end up with more problems latter on. Did I mention that horse training takes time and patience?
All of the exercises are designed to develop a calm, thinking, responsive mount. I do these exercises with all of the horses that come to me for starting. Horses that come to me for a tune-up will learn many of them. How much time I spend on each exercise or how quickly I go through the list depends on the horse. If a horse seems comfortable with an exercise, I check it off and move on. No sense drilling something they already know!
For convenience, I listed all Desensitizing and Sensitizing Exercises separately. In practice, I usually alternate a sensitizing exercise with a desensitizing one. I don't have a hard and set rule about the order I follow either. Again, it depends on the horse.
Training a horse takes time and patience, followed by consistent maintenance. There are gadgets out there that appear to help a horse overcome a problem, but I've found those gadgets usually mask the problem without overcoming the underlying cause. I would rather take the time to train a horse correctly from the start, than end up with more problems latter on. Did I mention that horse training takes time and patience?
Roundpen-control speed and direction, start to learn to face up
Desensitizing Exercises Proximity Approach/retreat Rub with stick-everywhere! String Toss-back, rear & front legs, neck Leadrope toss-same Spanking the ground-both sides Spanking the ground in a V Helicopter String Plastic grocery sack Tarp Saddle blanket Feed sack Ears Jumping up and down Jefferies Method Play drunk man Clock run at horse Groom Hobble Saddle Bridle Swing stirrups Slap stirrups Tap with hand Tap with stick on saddle Saddle bags Objects tied to saddle Tie up for thinking time Jump rope lead rope over head Squirt bottle (weather permitting) Bath (weather permitting) Obstacles- tires, ropes, hose, logs, etc. Kids, goats, chickens, dogs, cats, balls |
Sensitizing Exercises
Lunge Stage 1 Lunge Stage 2 Y0-yo Backing-marching Backing-waving Backing-tapping Backing-give to pressure on face Soften at poll Flex w/halter Flex w/ bridle Pick up feet-fetlocks Pick up feet-chestnut or hock Lead by the feet Yield the hindquarters Yield the forequarters Porcupine-all over Follow a feel-turn and go Flex and yield hindquarters Leading behind Leading next to Circle or Focus Driving Circle Driving Stage 2 Ground driving Open mouth Whoa Sending (Squeeze) Sidepassing Transitions-walk, trot or gait, stop, back Trailer loading-if needed or requested |