Reflecting on 2011 Newsletter ~ Hot off the Press!

Well do to a little set-back on December 27th involving a couple of horse hooves, five broken ribs, and a cracked spleen, I have been a bit slow getting the newsletter published!  Things are healing up just fine, and as broken ribs go, this set is the best I have ever had!  Thanks for all the wonderful kind words, thoughts, and prayers.  They made all the difference.

So, I invite you to visit the website to see the newsletter which has many great pictures from clinics in 2011, plus a fair amount of reflection on the 2011 theme of "Relationships in Balance".
http://www.tnthorsemanship.com/newsletters/ 

Along with the 2011 Round Up Newsletter, you will find the tentative schedule for 2012.  In an effort to keep things as economical as possible, and fit your schedules, we are primarily offering weekend clinics where you can customize the focus to fit your desires.  Let us know your interests and timeline, and we will help make a great experience happen! 
http://www.tnthorsemanship.com/schedule.html

Looking forward to riding with you in 2012!

If Reindeer Can Fly...How About Those Elk?

Haines, Oregon… On Christmas Eve, as the family arrives and children are yearning to see Santa’s reindeer, there is a new tradition to be added to the menu…Elk-Viewing!  T&T Wildlife Tours, located near North Powder, Oregon, will be offering for the first time in their 21-year history, an opportunity to see some very ‘real’ antlers on Rocky Mt. elk rather than on reindeer, on Christmas Eve day.

Susan Triplett, of T&T Wildlife Tours relays, “While we are quite sure that none of our elk fly, we do know that they are close relatives to reindeer, and that their antlers represent a pretty magical story”.  During the tour with viewing from the horse-drawn wagon equipped with wheelchair access, holiday goers will learn about the antlers of the elk, what effects their annual growth, and that they actually are the fastest growing bone in the entire animal kingdom.  Triplett continues, “We are anxious to see if Scoop Loop, a seven-point bull elk, will be returning this year, and to be on the look-out for any reindeer tracks indicating that Santa’s helpers stopped by to fuel up on alfalfa before hitting the skies for Christmas night”.  

The elk-viewing tour for Christmas Eve, December 24^th, will start at 10:00am, with tours running every ½ hour until 1:00pm. Special holiday tour dates are scheduled for the day after Christmas through January 1, 2012.  Call 541-856-3356 or the Union County Chamber office at 1-800-848-9969 or Baker County Visitor Information at 1-800-523-1235.  To see us on Grant’s Getaways, go to the link below for a full 30 minute feature. 

Website: www.tnthorsemanship.com/wildlifetours/

'tis the Season for Elk, Draft Horses, & Fun!

Here we are...set for another great year of horsemanship, learning, and for the winter months - Elk feeding!  Waylan and Jed are good to go having been leading the life of luxury all summer long.  These two Percherons simply amaze me as they seem to be in exactly the same place, with their great work ethic, that we left them at the end of last elk feeding season.  

As always, we have many things to be thankful for in regards to great coverage of our little wildlife viewing experience.  A wonderful article in Northwest Travel Magazine, along with the on-going airing of 'Grants Getaways' with Travel Oregon and KGW.   http://blog.traveloregon.com/2011/01/27/grants-getaways-elkhorn-wildlife-area/

 Hope to see you this winter on the hay wagon.  We'll be running every weekend through the end of February, plus special holiday dates of December 26 - January 1, 2012.

 Come see us and pet one of those big black velvet Percheron nose!  

Tip for the Ride ~ Use of the Garrocha

In this month's Tip for the Ride, Alice discusses and demonstrates some basic movements and hand positions for utilizing the Doma Vaquera bull-figthing pole called the garrocha. It is amazing what a simple tool such as this 13ft. long pole can accomplish in helping both horse and human to develop confidence, with rhythm, timing, balance, focus and ultimately feel. Whether you are looking to ride the perfect circle, help your horse to become braver, or seeking a tool to help you easily understand leg-yield and half-pass positioning...the garrocha is a great horsemanship tool. Check it out on YouTube at:

http://youtu.be/ejlZ2hF-ksU

The No Smoking Sign Drill

This month's 'Tip for the Ride' is a fun one, but probably one of the more difficult to master, as it requires FEEL, Timing, Balance, Rhythm, all multi-tasked together in order to communicate with the horse. Dubbed the "No Smoking Drill" you'll watch Alice demonstrate using the flag and the horseman's halter & lead, a ground exercise to send your horse sideways on a circle, while the flag draws a "No Smoking" sign on his side at a very rapid pace! In no way is this a "De-Sensitizing" exercise...Just the opposite actually. This "Sensitizes" your horse to follow the intentions of your mind and body language. Check it out by clicking here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IEpmsqc27c

Working at Liberty

The Tip for the Ride for this month examines working with your horse at liberty...no strings attached! With the pursuit of 'natural horsemanship' by many folks, the concept of interacting with your horse at liberty has become common-place. Unfortunately, at times I have seen this accomplished in a mindless manner and not keeping the principles of rhythm, balance, timing, attention, and feel in the forefront. In this Tip for the Ride I will discuss and demonstrate the beginnings of liberty work in a round pen positioning. As with all our ground work, it is critical that we are presenting a picture to the horse that will be similar to the thought and body positioning we will be using up in the saddle. Utilizing our 'Horseman's Protocol' is equally important ~ Become present, Think, Focus, Wait, & Reward. Mindfully sending your horse on a circle, watching for positive attitude by the giving of his eyes and ears, and then playing with transitions can be very rewarding!
Click here for the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx3N4W9AB_U

Reminder: You can join Alice at her ranch in Haines, Oregon this fall. Winter Horse Courses are forming too. It's not too early to think of good Christmas presents! Visit the website: www.tnthorsemanship.com

Balanced Canter Departs

In this month's Tip for the Ride, I will be demonstrating a simple pattern that prepares the horse for balanced canter departs. Light, soft, willing canter departs and lead changes are a hallmark that most aspiring horsemen and women desire to achieve. This Tip discusses the use of the riders natural aids (seat, legs, hands, & focus), combined with a simple pattern (The Bobby Pin) to position the horse and rider for effortless, balanced canter departs.

Check it out...Click HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPkuJPYCBT8