Christmas Horsemanship and Driving Clinic December 28th, 29th & 30th, 2017

Christmas Horsemanship and Driving Clinic 2017

Phil and Else want to offer a horsemanship and driving clinic at their farm on December 28, 29 and 30.  The indoor portion of our clinic will take place in our 160’ x 72’ indoor arena. The arena is not heated so you will need winter clothing. But, I will have a cozy warm comfortable heated space where participants can stand or sit to observe.  

Day 1

We will start the clinic first with a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate to get to know each other. I will introduce the horses. I will lead a short discussion of form and function with regard to the driving horse or pony. Then we will do some basic ground work to include in -hand skill and ground driving skills. I will use the Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry Family Fjord evaluation tests            ( which I wrote and designed ) as a guide for the in-hand and ground driving exercises. These tests were designed to assess a horse’s ability to learn and perform and to increase horsemanship skills for the handler of the horse. Good ground manners are the basis for a good driving horse.

Horse handling and driving safety skill will be taught and observed throughout clinic. Helmets are to be worn at all times.

You can bring your horse and cart or use one of our well trained and experienced Norwegian Fjord driving horses. If you plan to bring your horse or horses please call me to discuss your expectations for the clinic. You can not expect to bring a green horse that has not been hitched to this clinic and get it driving in two days. For safety sake your horse must have experience driving away from home to come to this clinic.

At noon we will break for lunch.

In the afternoon we will hitch and drive the horses either individually or in groups of two or three if appropriate and safety warrants. The afternoon lessons will be based on driven dressage techniques that emphasize connection, relaxation, rhythm, suppleness, bending and roundness. Various training and skill building exercises will be offered.

Day 2

The morning session will revisit some of the basic skill and think about horsemanship as it pertains to the driving horse. We may drive some cones. The activities  this day depends on what questions come up and on what people want to work on.

After lunch we will try to do a sleigh drive if the trails are ready to be driven or people can continue to work inside.    

Day 3 

On day 3 we will continue to work on skills and problems that we have identified during the clinic. We will taylor the day's activities to help people and their horse one step further building on earlier lessons. 

Our intention is to offer a safe, comfortable, supportive space and to learn horsemanship and driving skills while enjoying our horses and one another.

Phil and Else

Where:                                

Odden Farm/ Norsk Wood Works,  

20337 County Rd H, Barronett, Wisconsin 54813

                     Indoor arena and possible sleigh trails

When:                                 

December 28th, 29th and 30th, 2017    

Start time:

Coffee at 8:30 Clinic start 9:00 AM  Clinic finishes at 5:00 PM

What:                                  

Ground work, indoor driving, possible sleigh driving if we have enough snow.

Skill Level:                          

Beginner to experienced

Horses:                              

Bring your own horse or use my horses. If you plan to bring your horse please call me so we can discuss your expectations for your horse.                                    

Stalls available at $15/night outdoor, $25/night indoor first come first serve.

Cost:                                   

$75 per day per person              

Limited to 6 Participants                                         

$25 / auditor per day per person      

Limited to 6 auditors, with preference for a partner for each full time driver.

Housing:

Rooms available in our home $50 per room, per night for two people or one. Limit 3 rooms.

Timberland Hills Farmstead operated by our friend Jean Buchanan offers a farm house rental about 3 miles from our farm.

Christmas Driving and Horsemanship Clinic 2016

Our Christmas driving and horsemanship clinic was a great success. Everyone had an opportunity to enjoy their horses or my horses as we worked through the in-hand, ground driving and driving phases of the clinic under the roof of our indoor arena. We worked the horses together, ate together and shared horse stories as we considered new and time trusted horsemanship skills.  In the end we capped the clinic off with a drive outside on the snow covered trails. In the end Everyone asked when the next clinic would be. 

Christmas Horsemanship and Driving Clinic 2016