Photo courtesy of EQUUS

Farriers work hard year-round to provide quality hoof care for horses worldwide. To honor their dedication and service, American Farriers Journal created National Farriers Week.

Here they are with the details of how you can honor your farrier:

In its 15th year, National Farriers Week is an opportunity to honor your farrier. We think it is important for horse owners, trainers, riders, grooms, veterinarians and others in the equine community to say “thanks” for all of the terrific work farriers do.

Although we hope you show your appreciation all year long, we’re encouraging you to acknowledge your farrier’s hard work from July 7-13, 2013.

American Farriers Journal is again going to spotlight farriers based on your feedback. From now until July 1, we encourage horse owners to submit pictures and videos of your farrier working with your horses, share why you appreciate your farrier and tell us a story about your farrier.

If you are a farrier making a difference in the industry, send us your pictures and tell us a unique story of how you helped improve a horse’s life.

This year, we will also be accepting video submissions. Share a brief video with us of yourself talking about a mentor who has made a difference in your career. We will be featuring your stories, and the stories horse owners share with us during National Farriers Week on Facebook, Twitter and www.AmericanFarriers.com.

Great or small, we want to hear everything farriers are doing to support the industry. You can submit your photos, videos and stories to Michelle Sauer at msauer@lesspub.com. Be sure to include your full name and location with your submission (if you are a horse owner, please include your farriers full name and location as well).

American Farriers Journal has also posted a certificate for National Farriers Week that horse owners can download and personalize for their farriers. It can be downloaded at www.americanfarriers.com/ff/2013NFW.

We look forward to hearing your stories, sharing your pictures and highlighting the individuals who work hard to keep our horses sound.

A cross-section of horse nasal passages. | Illustration courtesy of FLAIR®

Flair LLC, maker of the FLAIR Equine Nasal Strip, is once again offering Black FLAIR Nasal Strip, and the introduction of the FLAIR Six-Strip Value Pack.

“We’re excited to announce the return of the Black FLAIR® Nasal Strip and the FLAIR® Six Strip Value Pack,” said FLAIR LLC President Jim Chiapetta, DVM, JD, the  co-inventor of the FLAIR Equine Nasal Strip.

“The reintroduction of the Black Strip to our product line is in response to requests by many horsemen and horsewomen that embraced the original FLAIR product, as well as to new owners, breeders and trainers seeking scientifically proven alternatives to maintain and support equine respiratory health without drugs. ”

Flair LLC also announces a new cost-saving Six Strip Value Pack – in Black. The re-sealable Value Pack keeps FLAIR Strips clean and organized after the package is opened.

Both Black and White FLAIR Nasal Strips continue to provide the outstanding lung protection that horsemen everywhere have come to depend on — gently supporting the nasal passages of the equine athlete at every level of competition.

About FLAIR Nasal Strips:  FLAIR® Strips provide drug-free support and protection to the respiratory system of the hard-working equine athlete. FLAIR Strips are clinically proven to:  reduce airway resistance, reduce lung stress and EIPH/bleeding, reduce fatigue, and shorten post-exercise recovery time.

For more information about FLAIR Strips and Team FLAIR Eventing, please visit http://flairstrips.com, which says in part:

FLAIR Strips are self-adhesive strips that promote optimum respiratory health of equine athletes at all levels by reducing airway resistance and providing improved airflow when your horse needs oxygen most.

FLAIR Strips provide benefits for all horses including intensively trained horses as well as for horses that only exert themselves during occasional weekend competitions or trail rides.

During exercise when horses begin to breathe hard the soft tissues overlying the nasal passages are sucked in, reducing the airway diameter. This reduction in diameter causes greater resistance to airflow into the lungs. FLAIR Strips gently support the soft tissues over the nasal passages providing reduced airway resistance during exercise.

By reducing airway resistance during exercise, FLAIR Strips help prevent fatigue related injuries, help protect the lungs from injury and bleeding and promote optimal athletic performance.

Our miniature Sicilian donkey was one of 24 equines gelded at the National Equine Rescue Network clinic.

Do you have an entire equine at home, meaning a male that is still intact-but you wish he weren’t?  If so, there is help available.

Read on to hear John Strassburger’s experience.  The Horse Journal Performance Editor found a California gelding clinic was just the right solution:

When, in early January, I heard about a low-cost gelding clinic coming to Sonoma County, where I live in California, I thought of Mr. Steve, our miniature Sicilian donkey, who for a variety of reasons had made it to the ripe old age of 6 with all of his original equipment intact.

Since he is small, and a donkey, managing him with his factory specs wasn’t a huge challenge. But, every time I started getting prices for having him gelded (he was potentially a cryptorchid), I would ultimately decide he wasn’t THAT hard to manage. Then the opportunity came for it to be done at an extremely affordable price, and we decided that his time had come.

These clinics are organized by the National Equine Resource Network (NERN), which was founded and is based here in California, and these clinics are part of a pilot program for the service. They started with just a few clinics in 2011, and now they’ve expanded their reach now to include clinics all over California. According to their website, they’re planning their first out-of-state program, in Washington, later this year.

The idea behind the clinics is to offer affordable castration for local equine communities, in order to help reduce the number of unwanted horses each year. In polling their members, castration was mentioned time and again as a service they’d like to have available. They estimate they’ve castrated approximately 500 equines since the program began. They usually partner with local facilities, organizations and veterinarians.

At first I wasn’t sure that the organizers would accept a non-horse, but once we determined that they would, I filled out the paperwork and sent it in. We received word he’d been accepted, and the countdown to “brain surgery” began.

Surprisingly enough, Mr. Steve wasn’t the smallest guy there. That title belonged to a tiny white stud muffin who was definitely excited by his big day out. Being a miniature Sicilian donkey on a farm full of sport horses, Mr. Steve is used to being the littlest guy in the room. Perhaps he liked being the second smallest—and the only donkey.

People brought a wide range of equines, from mature stallions, to anxious weanlings, and everything in between. There were members of the local Hispanic community there with some of their gaming horses, and a local breeder taking advantage of the savings to get several of his stock done at once. I got the impression that most of the cryptorchid slots filled quickly, and I saw several “average” horse owners there having their cryptorchids done because the cost was otherwise just too prohibitive.

Jennifer Forsberg Meyer

Do you know the secret to teaching your horse something new?

Horse&Rider senior editor Jennifer Forsberg Meyer tells us what she’s learned:

I’ve had the privilege of working with some extraordinary trainers over the years while creating how-to articles for Horse&Rider. I’m always struck by how, when it comes to the nitty-gritty, they all tend to emphasize the same basic things.

Timing and clarity are two of those things.

Timing is knowing (1) when to give a cue (usually rein or leg or seat pressure) and, even more important, (2) when to cease giving it—thereby rewarding the horse for responding.

Clarity is making sure the horse knows exactly what you’re asking for in order to get the reward.

I thought of these two qualities the other day when I was marveling at how easy it’s been to teach a “get-your-head-in” cue to every horse I’ve had on my place. You see, my run-in shed has one stall whose window can make feeding grain or pellets difficult. If the horse in that stall has his head poking out that window, I can’t reach in to place the grain in the corner feeder. And of course when you’re coming at a horse with goodies, he’s keen to meet you halfway, so out pops the head.

But, as I say, the solution has been surprisingly easy. Using clarity and timing, I’ve been able to teach every horse that’s used that stall (so far: two Quarter Horses, a Paint, a Pinto/Arabian, my daughter’s Arabian/Mustang, and a friend’s warmblood) to pull its head back from the window so I can reach the feeder.

I did it simply by standing there, grain in hand, and saying “get-your-head-in” in an authoritative voice, over and over, until by chance the horse withdrew its head into the stall, at which point I’d immediately dump the grain into the feeder. From the get-go, it was clear to each horse what had to be done (withdraw head), and the perfectly-timed reward (grain in feeder) reinforced the correct behavior.

As a result, all of the horses had this command down-pat by the second day’s lesson. Like magic!

Static situations like this one are relatively easy, however. Maintaining both clarity and timing while you’re riding along on your horse’s back is a much greater challenge. Often the key to success there is breaking things down. In other words, you teach just one thing at a time, rather than shooting for softness in the bridle, lateral flexion through the topline, and the proper bend on a circleall at once.

Ask for just one of these qualities, then add the next, then the next, always allowing the time it takes for your horse to “get” each new bit of learning.

And, if your horse seems confused at any point, stop and make sure your cueing for whatever maneuver you’re asking for is both correct and clear. (Ask a pro for help if you’re uncertain.) Then, too, be sure you’re providing the reward (release of pressure) at the exact moment your horse gives a little “try.” If your timing is off, you’ll be inadvertently rewarding the wrong thing, which means you’re programming bad info into your horse’s “onboard computer.” Not good!

I know from my own experience that all this is easier to explain than it is to do. Getting really good at it, though, is worth the effort, as it will make you into a much better rider and trainer.

Teach your horse Julie Goodnight’s simple drop-head maneuver to discover how nearly magical good timing and cue clarity can be. | Photo by Heidi Nyland Melocco

If you want to see first hand how nearly magical good timing and clarity can be, try this. Go out to your barn and teach your horse the drop-head cue as described by clinician Julie Goodnight. The cue for this is perfectly clear (gentle downward pressure on the halter), and if your timing is also perfect (you “give” the instant your horse’s head moves minutely downward), your horse will learn this maneuver quickly–almost like magic.

Or try teaching the drop-head cue from the saddle, using our online video from Julie.

Once you fully appreciate how powerful timing and clarity can be, you can begin to apply them more effectively to everything you teach to your horse.

The results will be, well, like magic!

My husband and I have weathered many stressors in our marriage–including cancer, deaths of our parents, unemployment and teenage males, but we were both surprised by the recent disagreement we had over Adding Yet Another Horse.

To be fair, we each had a perfectly respectable and sound horse, so we didn’t need another horse, at least not on the practical, Spock-like level.

The emotional level–well, that was another matter. Raising a foal was on my horse bucket list, and I aimed to see it through.

Again, to be fair, I could have handled the initial conversation better. It went something like this:

Me: Hey, honey, don’t you have a Pay Pal account?

Husband: Sure, why?

Me: Oh, good. I need to use your account to buy my half of this pregnant mare.

Spot, the first pregnant mare. | Photos courtesy of Amy Herdy

Now, to be really, really fair, he didn’t dig in his heels until I brought up buying a second pregnant mare, my dream horse. Then this wonderful man, who delayed his retirement when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, who took a leave of absence from work to care for me when I was going through treatment, and who had never really opposed me on anything (he wants me to add the word “ever” here), turned away and said, “No.”

My horse husband on his Victory motorcycle.

“But you got a motorcycle!” I countered, which was true. The motorcycle purchase had happened in the middle of my chemo treatments, and he did ask several times if I was okay with it.  I had simply smiled and nodded because I figured the poor man needed a vehicle with which to flee reality on a regular basis.

The puppy and I take a nap last fall.

“And you got a puppy!” he argued back, albeit rather weakly because he realized there really is no comparison. I had also acquired the puppy in the middle of chemo treatments, and there was no asking. Yet my husband had simply smiled and nodded because he figured I needed something adorable with which to flee reality on a regular basis.

(Also, I was chemo-bald, which ups the ante on the negotiating scale. My hair has since starting growing back and with it, I apparently lost the use of my Cancer Card.)

I used logic (foals need other foals for socialization!) reasoning (we were planning on buying our own ranch in the next year or so, so we won’t always have board bills) and appealed to his sense of fairness (the motorcycle cost twice as much as the mare, and requires payments and maintenance!). I got angry, and then tearful. Nothing swayed him, because another horse meant more horse bills, and he grew up on a farm in Iowa, which lent him a very appealing Rock-of-Gibraltar-ness yet also a sensible streak that didn’t relate to the term “dream horse.”

He used logic (we still have medical bills), reasoning (we need to save money for the ranch), and appealed to my sense of fairness (you just bought a pregnant horse!).

He would not agree to the purchase, and since there’s only so much anarchy that a marriage can take, we entered a stony impasse. And then fate stepped in, in the form of a family member buying the mare for me in a stunningly generous gesture.

Here I am with Sapphire, my dream horse, the day after she arrived. | Photo by Julie Oelman

“Boy, you really dodged a bullet on that one!” I said to my husband. And then I promptly started asking him to build two foaling stalls, because the stalls in the barn of the ranch where we board are too small for a mare and foal. Also, apparently pregnant mares need lots of space in case they need to roll during labor, as rolling can help position the foal.

He was newly retired, so time was not an issue. And he agreed to do it…yet the days ticked by. He hung pictures on the wall at home. He built raised garden beds in the back yard, and laid a brick deck. He organized our home office and cleaned off his dresser. In short, he crossed off lots of items on the honey-do list except the one I wanted him to do the most.

I began to fret and over-analyze: Was this resistance an indication of an overall negative attitude toward the mares? Was this a non-verbal way of telling me he harbored resentment about the whole foal thing? He hadn’t ridden in a while…was he, heaven forbid, losing interest in horses altogether?!

I hinted. I cajoled. When I saw that Practical Horseman magazine was offering a chance to win a day with Olympian Phillip Dutton, I mused out loud, “I wonder if he builds foaling stalls?”

One of the pregnant mares, Spot, starts to “bag up,” signaling that delivery is within a few weeks.

And then just as I was giving up and thinking that I would have to hire someone to do the task because clearly my horse husband was on strike, the biggest nag of all stepped in: Mother Nature.

Spot, the first pregnant mare, started to bag up, which means her udder began to fill with milk. Which meant that we should start bringing her (and the other mare) into the barn at night so they could get used to their foaling stalls and also so they could build immunity to any germs there, which they would pass onto the foals through colostrum.

The next day, in the middle of a snowstorm, my sweet horse husband drove to the ranch and built two roomy foaling stalls inside the barn, each with foal-proof sides.

They are close enough so that the mares have each other for company yet far enough so that they have privacy, too. He put down lots of straw to make them comfy, and the other day he emerged from the garage with a board in his hand, which he explained was to shore up a gap in one of the stalls where he was worried a tiny hoof could get caught.

The newly-built foaling stalls, awaiting occupation.

Aww, my horse husband was back!

Now, about adding non-climb fencing to that front pasture to make it safer for the foals…

It’s the June book of the month for MyHorse Books, the online book club for MyHorse Daily, and is offered on HorseBooksEtc.com. for $22.00.

Buy The Rescue of Belle & Sundance before May 31 and HorseBooksEtc.com will give you a 10 percent discount off your entire order when you use the promo code RESCUEME. The offer expires May 31, 2013. It’s an amazing tale that would make a great gift for both horse and non-horse folks.

The story: In December of 2008, two snowmobilers found a pair of horses on Mount Renshaw in the Canadian Rockies, a 3-year-old filly and a 14-year-old gelding, who were trapped by six feet of snow. The horses had survived so far by tramping down a small shelter in the deep drifts, yet they were bone thin and shivering.

Later it would be determined their names were Belle and Sundance, and they had been left on that mountain three months earlier by a rider using the draft crosses as pack horses on a backcountry trip. The rider, an attorney, got lost, leading the horses into a bog. He got them out of the bog, but after that they had refused to follow him, so he had left them on top of that mountain, riding his saddle horse out.

The morning after they were first spotted, a group of snowmobilers volunteered to go back up the mountain with a bale of hay and a handgun, determined to either feed the horses or put them out of their misery.

Yet the group agreed there was still life in the eyes of Belle and Sundance, and so the decision was made to save them. The rest of the book describes in beautiful detail the harrowing events of the next eight days, and of how one small mountain town came together in an effort to save two horses, digging a tunnel in the snow by hand to do so.

Meanwhile, rescuers tried to keep the horses alive by blanketing them and feeding them small amounts of grass hay so they wouldn’t colic. They built a campfire every day to melt snow so the horses could drink. And they pondered how to save them.

The only way out would be to dig the horses out, more than a half mile, to a logging road and then walk them out by hand, more than 18 miles. Would they make it?

The Rescue of Belle & Sundance reads like it was written by two horse lovers because it was: Birgit Stutz and Lawrence Scanlan.

Birgit Stutz is a journalist, horse trainer, and riding instructor who lives on a ranch in the Canadian Rockies, and Lawrence Scanlan was the author of The Horse God Built: The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World’s Greatest Racehorse. He lives in Kingston, Ontario.

It’s a heartwarming story of how a dedicated group of people came together for a wonderful cause, and it’s also the story of the sheer will of horses to survive. Belle and Sundance had somehow lived through temperatures that dropped to forty below zero, and had eaten each other’s tails for protein, but they still perked up their ears when rescuers approached them.

There are some books that inspire us to be better human beings to these gracious and forgiving animals, and The Rescue of Belle & Sundance is one of them. Yes, you will cry, but they will be good tears.

Guests of the C U Lazy Ranch enjoy horseback riding. | Photo courtesy of C Lazy U Ranch

Horsemanship vacations offer something very different, and they can be a truly life-changing experience for many guests. This year, why not book onto one and feel the difference for yourself? Horsemanship courses and clinics at a ranch are perfect for singles, couples, friends, the whole family or even corporate retreats. Everyone can get involved and you’ll learn so many new skills and feel like you understand your equine friends so much more.

What is a horsemanship vacation?

To learn more about how to plan your next dude ranch vacation, download our FREE guide—Dude Ranch 101: What You Need to Play Cowboy or Cowgirl on Your Cattle Driving Horseback Riding Vacation.

The term horsemanship, put simply, means learning to understand, ride and deal with horses in a skilled way. Horsemanship clinics at ranches vary enormously and can be anything from using techniques to improve your riding position and performance to understanding how horses work and think, allowing you to work with them in a more tuned-in way. Here’s what’s on offer at some of the ranches featured at www.top50ranches.com:

Please Note: Below with each ranch we have provided a range of pricing – a custom quote will be offered to you based upon group make-up and interests. A customized quote will be provided specific to your needs and wants!

Bitterroot Ranch, Wyoming, USA

• Centered Riding Clinics. Centered Riding provides an insight into how you can improve your riding and enhance communication and cooperation with your horse. The theory behind it is based on a knowledge of human and horse anatomy, balance, movement and on understanding how the mind affects the body and how both affect the horse. It uses centering and grounding techniques from the martial arts, along with body awareness, mental imagery and sports psychology. One guest commented: “I’ve been working hard on the stuff that I learned, and you know what? My horses have never travelled so well, and felt so light! The centering with the breathing and the soft eyes is just incredible. Yesterday I did a five hour ride in the desert and I have never felt so well on a horse; and the horse trotted up afterwards as never before! In summary, I am just happy and amazed about it all, and so are my dear ponies.” Dr. Jaber Bittar, UAE (five-day clinic).

Perfect for: Riders of all levels who want to improve their performance in the saddle and have a better understanding of how their own and their horse’s body works.

Dates: June 2-9 with Donna Snyder-Smith, a world-class clinician and level III Centered Riding Instructor who holds the prestigious Lifetime Award from the American Riding Instructors’ Association.

Price: Contact Ranch

Dates: August 25-September 1 with Sue Faulkner-March, a level III Centered Riding Instructor and Connected Riding Practitioner who studied under Sally Swift.

Price: Contact Ranch

• TTEAM Young Horse Training Clinic. The Tellington Touch Equine Awareness Method (TTEAM) is a way of training, healing and overcoming common resistances in horses. Not only does the horse benefit from the TTEAM method, but also a deeper rapport grows between horse and rider because of increased understanding and more effective communication. Linda Tellington-Jones, the founder of the TTEAM method and world-renowned horsewoman, has been teaching clinics at Bitterroot Ranch for more than 20 years. The Bitterroot Ranch setting offers a unique experience to work with untrained, ranch-bred Arabs who will be integrated into the ranch’s exceptional string of saddle horses.

Perfect for: Riders of all levels, especially those with confidence issues or those who simply want to improve their riding.

Dates: June 16-23 with Linda Tellington-Jones.

Price: Contact Ranch

• Reach Out To Horses Clinic. During the Reach Out to Horses Clinic, Bitterroot offers you first-hand experience, through demonstrations, lectures and exercises, on how all contact with your horse, your intentions, your body language, your energy and more, form a communication system. You will also become certified as a Reiki I and II practitioner.

Perfect for: Guests who believe in the benefits of alternative therapies and those wishing to gain another qualification to help others.

Dates: June 9-16 with Anna Twinney, founder of Reach Out To Horses. Anna is an internationally respected Natural Horsemanship Clinician and Trainer, Animal Communicator and Reiki Master.

Price: Contact Ranch

C Lazy U Ranch, Colorado, USA

The C Lazy U, in cooperation with Julie Goodnight, has put together a riding and yoga retreat for women. Take advantage of discounted rates for world-class accommodations with programming, riding and yoga included. Participants can bring their own horses or use one of the great horses at the ranch. The clinic sessions are fun and productive with all riders and horses working at their own pace. Julie is there to make sure you have a good time, stay safe and learn something. She is really good at putting everyone at ease and making you feel confident. From Julie’s point of view, she is there for you – not the other way around. It’s not about egos or impressing people, it’s about you and your horse and making what progress you can, while you have a great time in an incredible setting. “Expect to have fun, learn a lot about your horse, enjoy great company and a have a luxurious stay at one of Colorado’s premier guest ranches,” says Julie.

Perfect for: Female riders who want to maximize their potential in the saddle and have a great time doing it.

Dates: May 17-20 and October 11-14

Price: $970, plus $25 per day for board of your own horse

Double Rafter Cattle Drives, Wyoming, USA

Double Rafter ranch is offering a number of trips which will start with a half day natural horsemanship clinic and/or include yoga and Pilates to help riders develop their riding skills further. This includes saddling and bridling as well as the applicable side of horsemanship rather than the showmanship side of it. Chris Ellsworth will be taking the horsemanship clinics. Having studied under all the big time names such as Ray Hunt, Tom Dorrance and Buck Brannaman, Chris got his first job out of college on the ranch and stayed for two years. He’s able to add a personal side to his clinics seeing as he knows every inch of the mountain allotment and the string of horses. Gino Carfora, a past guest said: “I don’t know what you are paying Chris, but you should double it.”

Perfect for: Guests who wish to be all-round better horsemen.

Dates: June 16-21, June 30-July 6, July 21-26, August 11-16, September 14-21, September 30-October 6.

Price: Contact Ranch

Estancia Los Potreros, Argentina

One-to-one sessions with this ranch’s horse-breaker, Juan Manuel Pizarro (Jumi), during any stay and subject to availability, are on offer. Jumi is an extraordinary horseman. While his methods are loosely based on Monty Roberts, Jumi doesn’t follow just one system of training – he draws on many of the established experts in the field, along with his own extensive experience gained in Argentina, England and Africa. This allows him and his students the flexibility to work with what suits them and their personality, and each particular horse. The ranch, which has been described by many guests as ‘pure heaven’, has been highlighted and acclaimed in several publications including Real Travel, The World’s best riding, The Sunday Times and 100 Best Hotels in the World.

Perfect for: Riders of all levels who want to gain a better insight into equitation and horse behaviour.

Dates: Available on any trip from January-April and June-December.

Price: A one hour private round corral demonstration, where Jumi will explain his background, how he came up with his system of natural horsemanship breaking, and demonstrate some of his techniques in practice, costs $50. A two-hour private round corral clinic, where Jumi will demonstrate some of the techniques he uses and then invite guests to try them out for themselves under his guidance, costs: $100.

Free Rein Ranch, British Columbia, Canada

Daily horsemanship clinics are on offer whenever clients wish to partake. Many guests venture into the round-pens to take part in the riding/handling programme. Most guests are learning new methods every day on the ground since the ranch often begins the days with sessions in the training pens. The Judd family from Vancouver was full of praise following their stay. “Thank you so very much. We had a fantastic time and can’t wait to come back. We will remember you and this experience forever and what you have here is so extremely special. I’m not just talking about the ranch, but everything.”

Perfect for: Guests who want the flexibility to do as they wish on a daily basis and develop their horsemanship skills at the same time.

Dates: May-October

Price: $200-$275 per person, per night includes all instruction.

McGinnis Meadows, Montana, USA

There’s the option to participate in Buck Brannaman-style horsemanships every day at McGinnis, where folks can come and work on their horsemanship skills from groundwork to advanced moves. The horsemanship program is McGinnis’ main emphasis of any guest’s stay. Keith from Michigan described his experience as: “I walked away from the week with a much clearer feeling about the work guests are fortunate to participate in. I worked my way up to a level of what there is to understand about horses, interacting more easily with my horse, riding and responding without thinking too much about it and spending some minutes simply enjoying the ranch life.”

Perfect for: Keen riders who want to learn as much as they can about their equine friends.

Price: $308-$335 per person, per night includes all instruction.

Dates: April-October

The Ranch at Rock Creek, Montana, USA

The Ranch at Rock Creek hosts a whole range of natural horsemanship-type trips. Take your pick from the following…

• Adopt A Horse. Guests who love spending time petting, grooming and tending to the horses will love the Adopt A Horse program. A Wrangler is on hand to help you learn the ins and outs of caring for horses and provide you with the items you’ll need. Adopt A Horse is available by reservation every afternoon at 2pm with a maximum of five participants per class. Sessions last 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Perfect for: Less experienced guests who want to learn the basics in caring for horses.

• Little Grizzlies. Children under the age of eight will delight in spending time with Rock Creek’s Little Grizzlies horses, where they will get the chance to pet, brush and ride under the watchful eyes and expert guidance of the Grizzly Wranglers. Sessions will last 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Perfect for: Pony mad children, allowing parents to do their own thing.

• Arena Games. Experience alternative riding disciplines and improve your skills with some horseback arena games at Rock Creek. Games are offered with advance reservations and a maximum of five participants per class. Choose from Pole Bending, Barrel Racing and Roping. Sessions last 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Perfect for: Guests wishing to add some excitement and adrenaline into their stay.

Dates: Mondays and Thursdays all-year-round

• Equine 101. Equine enthusiasts can spend time with the knowledgeable Wrangle staff at Rock Creek, getting answers to questions about horses, their care and training. This non-mounted class is a fun way to increase your equine knowledge and learn the basics of how to ‘speak horse’. Each participant will have use of a horse for the class, with bookings taken in advance only and a maximum of five participants per class.

Perfect for: Less experienced or nervous riders who want to understand how their horse thinks.

Dates: Saturdays at 2pm all year round.

Vista Verde Ranch, Colorado, USA

Vista Verde offers special horsemanship trips for limited guests each year. With just a few guests at a time, visitors experience that ‘I have the ranch to myself’ feel. There’s no special entertainment on offer – just riding, camaraderie during meal times and plenty of opportunity to chill out, relax and reflect on the day’s events. Ranch Trainer Terry Wegener is a National Reining Horse Association money winner and has an extensive background in reining, ranch versatility horse training, competition and judging. He brings this experience to the Vista Verde riding program and has helped guests learn to far exceed their expectations in regards to how much they can learn in a week. From both demonstrating what he’s teaching the young horses to helping you learn how to better communicate with your own horse, you might find that you never want to leave the arena because you’re having too much fun!

Perfect for: Intermediate level riders.

Dates: March 17-21, but contact the centre for other up-and-coming natural horsemanship trips.

Zapata Ranch, Colorado, USA

For the third year, third-generation rancher and horseman and CEO of Ranchlands, Duke Phillips, and 25-year director of the Thatcher Riding School in California, Cam Schryver, are returning to this excellent clinic. Both Duke and Cam are invited to speak around the country on conservation, horsemanship and what it means to be a modern-day rancher. Days are spent with personal one-on-one horsemanship instruction, educational demonstrations, rides through the surrounding meadows and dunes and working cattle and bison on horseback. Applying working ranch horsemanship and riding by feel, you’ll leave the week feeling a much deeper connection to the magnificence of horses and will understand better how to communicate with them. After the first couple days, the horsemanship clinic takes you out of the corrals and into a herd of cattle, where you apply the skills that you’ve learned. Additionally, day rides into our herd of 2,000 bison and into the Sand Dunes National Park give horse and rider a chance to exercise new lessons in open range, while enjoying the beauty of Zapata.

Perfect for: Guests who enjoy the variety of working in a corral and out in the open.

Dates: August 4-11

Price: $2,700 including all meals, lodging and instruction and space is limited to 15 participants.

For more details about horsemanship clinics available at any of the ranches mentioned above, visit: www.top50ranches.com.

Rescue horse advocate Cate Lamm has some creative ideas:

Goofing off! This was at an event where I was helping a friend. | Photo courtesy of Cate Lamm

As I described in my last blog, I decreased my herd back to one horse, which was very hard to do. But, my Opal was in a great new home.

I began working on building up my financial reserves, which had been depleted by having two horses instead of the one I’d planned for.

So, how to continue to learn about eventing without a budget for lessons and outings? I had to get creative! Here’s what I did.

To learn more about eventing, download our FREE guide—Eventing: A Guide to the Three-Day Eventing Elements of Dressage, Cross-Country and Show Jumping.

I’ve always been willing to work to learn. It was time to go back to those days. For lessons, I worked as a groom and an exercise rider. I mucked stalls and even babysat for my trainer.

I also worked a trade for trailering; I traded housesitting for the use of a trailer so Banjo and I could get out and have new experiences.

I visited used-tack sales to pick up the items we needed, instead of paying full price. I also sold items I no longer needed or used.

My horse friends helped me move forward, as well. As I worked on schooling lessons, a friend would watch me and give feedback—humbling, but rewarding and helpful.

Another great way to learn for free is to volunteer to help out at an event. For example, you can work on the dressage-ring crew, or as a gate steward, dressage scribe, or cross-country starter.

I learned a lot from just showing up and helping friends who were competing. And it was fun to be there without the pressure of showing.

I look back on those days fondly. It’s always fun to learn a new discipline, and this was a good time for Banjo and me.

If you want more information on rescue horses or you want to locate a rescue near you, please check out AHomeForEveryHorse.com.
Equine.com and the Active Interest Media Equine Network have joined forces with the American Horse Council’s Unwanted Horse Coalition to launch A Home for Every Horse Project.

This project helps find homes for America’s 170,000 to 200,000 horses in need of care and shelter.

Here’s how it works:

Begin the search for your next equine partner at AHomeForEveryHorse.com. You can search horses waiting for homes at nonprofit shelters across the country. Browse by rescue horse, or find rescue organizations in your area.

• Visit the site’s “Services” section to learn about your local rescue organizations. Find out how you can volunteer, donate, or simply spread the word.
• Look for upcoming stories on EquiSearch.com related to horse rescue.

If your 501(c)(3) rescue organization would like to join the Home For Every Horse Project, call (866) 467-7323, ext. 100.  Equine.com is a part of Active Interest Media Equine Network.

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