April
Learn to ride obstacles with ease. Lesson horses can be available if you do not have a horse. Limited to 5 horse/rider combos per level. Sign up early. Cost is $30.
12:00 Beginner Open to riders or horses newly started under saddle. This is also open to horses in hand. Lead line helpers welcome.
1:00 Intermediate Open to horses and riders at an intermediate skill level, and looking to improve or learn versatility skills.
2:00 Advanced Open to horses and riders that are confident in their abilities and have some trail or obstacle experience
May
Learn to ride obstacles with ease. Lesson horses can be available if you do not have a horse. Limited to 5 horse/rider combos per level. Sign up early. Cost is $30.
12:00 Beginner Open to riders or horses newly started under saddle. This is also open to horses in hand.
Lead line helpers welcome.
1:00 Intermediate Open to horses and riders at an intermediate skill level, and looking to improve or learn versatility skills.
2:00 Advanced Open to horses and riders that are confident in their abilities and have some trail or obstacle experience
Contact Dawn Bonin to sign up or for more info naturalhorse80@yahoo.com or 860-985-7611
Versatility Clinic Entry Form
Debbie Murphy, USDF Associate Instructor and Centered Riding® Instructor Level ll. Deborah has been riding all her life beginning in California with trail riding and Gymkhana. She was introduced to dressage in the early 1980’s, while stationed in Maine as an Air Traffic Controller for the USAF. Upon Deborah’s arrival in CT in the early 1990’s she began working with Sarah Geikie as well as other dressage trainers in order to further her education, and she continues to work with Sarah.
This is an introductory clinic with the format being on learning about Western Dressage. We will begin with basic information about Western Dressage, including what the definition of the various paces means in actuality, so you can feel what they are on your horse. We will include in each lesson you practicing riding a Western Dressage test if you want to. Tests will be available at clinic or you can visit http://westerndressageassociation.org/wdaa-tests/. There will be test riding strategy as well as test learning strategy included. The tests can be read to the riders as they are being ridden at the clinic and at shows, so that will be addressed as well. If anyone has ideas on anything they would like to be included please let us know and it can be!
A similar clinic was held here last year and was a success, with lots of interest, lots of great feedback, and best of all happy riders and horses who had quite a bit of fun!
Format: The plan is to start with riders and horses in semi private lessons, do a warm up, addressing the different paces, such as working walk, working jog and so on, so riders can feel what is desired in a Western Dressage Test. Riders can request times that work best for their particular schedule. Most of the information about rules and Western Dressage hallmarks will be presented at lunch. Riders do not need Western tack or clothing for this clinic.
Schedule:
9am: Sign in, meet and Greet
10am: Group 1 rides
10:45am: Group 2 rides
11:30am: Group 3 Rides
12:15am: Lunch and Discussion
1:15pm: Group 4 Rides
2pm: Group 5 Rides
2:45pm: Group 6 rides
3:30pm: Wrap up
This clinic is limited to 12 participates. Groups (2 per group), will be decided based on similar experience. If you have a partner/time preference, please let us know. Cost for clinic is $100 per horse and rider includes a pizza lunch. If you don't have a horse, but would like to participate, a school horse is available, for a $35 additional charge. Auditing is $10 and includes a pizza lunch.
Please contact Dawn naturalhorse80@yahoo.com or 860-985-7611 (call or text) with questions or to sign up.
Each camp is Tuesday through Friday 9am-2pm - $240 per session
Great opportunity for kids to learn more about natural horsemanship, spend the day with horses, build a relationship with them and meet new friends. Just being around horses does wonders to boost the natural health of the human body, mind and spirit. There will be mounted and unmounted activities. Open to ages 5-12yo. All levels and disciplines are welcome. If you are older than 12yo and want to participate, please contact us about counselor in training opportunities. There will be a game day on Friday to show off all you have accomplished with your horse, parents and friends are encouraged to come. Each week we will focus on something different. So if you wanted to do multiple weeks, it will be a great experience.
Centered Riding with Debbie Murphy
Debbie Murphy, USDF Associate Instructor and Centered Riding® Instructor Level ll. Debbie is extremely enthusiastic about sharing Centered Riding techniques with students. She states that whatever your discipline, Centered Riding enhances it! Her teaching style focuses on the individual needs and goals of each rider and horse to help them progress in a enjoyable and safe way. She is happy to work with riders of all abilities and has had great success in increasing rider confidence. Debbie is VERY positive, and has tons of patience, believing that the journey of progress, in riding and training should be fun and rewarding for all participants. Debbie utilizes dressage, Centered Riding, and techniques learned from Natural Horsemanship, Horse Agility, Horse Versatility, and any other horse or rider related training, that will help her students learn to ride with feel and have enjoyable success.
The Ground Work: Debbie Murphy, will be teaching Centered Riding Groundwork to demonstrate the 4 Basics of Centered Riding, "soft eyes", "building block" alignment, "centering", and "breathing". Ground work involves feeling the basics using various exercises off the horse to enhance what you feel on the horse. Riders practice these fun, but super effective groundwork exercises, by feeling different feels practicing with another rider, or "riding" exercise balls or sometimes a small trampoline. The practical application of what you discover in a groundwork session is amazing and the groundwork sessions are fun and relaxed. If you have not been introduced to Centered Riding, this will be a nice introduction to the basics. If you have some familiarity, this will be a good way to broaden what you already know with some practical exercises and ways to explore the Centered Riding basics.
Riding: Will be split into semi - private sessions, bringing the ground work exercises to the saddle, and utilizing them to improve your riding. Groups (2 per group), will be decided based on similar experience. If you have a partner/time preference, please let us know. This is open to all levels, breeds and disciplines. Please let us know if there is something particular you would like to work on, and it will be addressed.
Schedule:
9am Ground Work
11am: Group 1 rides
11:45am: Lunch
12:15pm: Group 2 rides
1pm: Group 3 Rides
1:45pm: Group 4 Rides
2:30pm: Group 5 Rides
3:15pm: Group 6 rides
4pm: Wrap up
This clinic is limited to 12 participates. Cost for clinic is $100 per horse and rider includes a pizza lunch. If you don't have a horse, but would like to participate, a school horse is available, for a $35 additional charge. Auditing is $10 and includes a pizza lunch.
Please contact Dawn naturalhorse80@yahoo.com or 860-985-7611 (call or text) with questions or to sign up.
August
Come join us for an introduction to TREC presentation. TREC is an international trail adventure sport
comprised of three phases:Obstacles Control of paces Mounted orienteering trail
Presentation will be made by Bob Hatch – president of TREC Northeast and
hosted by Dawn Bonin of Babcock Hill “Horses Naturally”.
TREC is welcoming to all ages, levels, types of horses, and types of riding. There are 4 levels of competition – ranging from easy for those interested in simply the fun aspect of a horsemanship / trail adventure. To level 4 for those who want to compete at a very high level. There are international competitions every 2 years.
TREC is new to the Northeast, but it’s popularity is growing rapidly. Groups have now been started in Vermont (GMHA), Massachusetts (HCRC and Burnshirt Hills), Connecticut (Pomfret – PHTA), with introductions now being scheduled in New Hampshire, Southern Maine, and more in Connecticut (aka you folks) and Northeastern Mass.
Presentation format will be at:
Location: Babcock Hill “Horses Naturally” 577 Babcock Hill Rd. Coventry, CT
Time: Saturday August 25th at 4pm
Contact: Dawn Bonin Horsemanship naturalhorse80@yahoo.com or 860-985-7611
Cost: Free
September
Learn to ride obstacles with ease. Lesson horses can be available if you do not have a horse. Limited to 5 horse/rider combos per level. Sign up early. Cost is $30.
12:00 Beginner Open to riders or horses newly started under saddle. This is also open to horses in hand.
Lead line helpers welcome.
1:00 Intermediate Open to horses and riders at an intermediate skill level, and looking to improve or learn versatility skills.
2:00 Advanced Open to horses and riders that are confident in their abilities and have some trail or obstacle experience
October
Learn to ride obstacles with ease. Lesson horses can be available if you do not have a horse. Limited to 5 horse/rider combos per level. Sign up early. Cost is $30.
12:00 Beginner Open to riders or horses newly started under saddle. This is also open to horses in hand. Lead line helpers welcome.
1:00 Intermediate Open to horses and riders at an intermediate skill level, and looking to improve or learn versatility skills.
2:00 Advanced Open to horses and riders that are confident in their abilities and have some trail or obstacle experience
Something for all levels. Entry fee $40. ($30 if preregistered by 10/7) This will be a judged event with in-hand, beginner, intermediate, and advanced entries. An obstacle course is created to test communication between horse and rider as well as each competitor's horsemanship skills and athletic ability. If you don't have your own horse but still want to participate, most of the lesson horses are available by request and availability.
Versatility Competition Entry Form
In Hand Open to all levels and breeds to compete unmounted.
Beginner Open to riders or horses newly started under saddle. Lead line helpers or coaches welcome.
Novice Open to horses and riders at a novice skill level, and looking to improve versatility skills.
Intermediate Open to horses and riders at a intermediate skill level and are confident in their abilities.
Must have some trail or obstacle experience
Advanced Open to horses and riders at an advanced skill level, and have experience with trail and obstacles. Competing for cash prize (1/2 of every advanced entry goes to winner, prize money depends on amount of entries)
