The final AQHA international camp was in Wilhelmsburg, Austria.

The final AQHA international camp this summer has ended, and we are getting ready to head home. This camp took place August 7-10 in Wilhelmsburg, Austria, at the Long View Ranch. We had 23 participants, all of whom wanted to build on their foundation and learn new ways to teach the basics.

The participants were divided into two groups, and as we had done in the previous camps, the first two days of the camp were dedicated to foundational exercises to help with suppling and guiding. We also stressed correct horsemanship position in whatever discipline or class we were teaching. The participants would say that they spent more than half of their time at the camp standing in their stirrups, developing leg strength and balance.

We also conducted lectures during the camp. Starting with the bits and bitting lecture on the first day enabled the students to make sure their equipment was in proper working order and was what they needed for their horse’s level. The second day, Zack again did a round pen work demonstration, showing how to start young colts, and Lindsey gave an equine nutrition lecture on the third day.

We again dedicated the third day of the clinic for class specific maneuvers, focusing on western pleasure, horsemanship, trail and reining in preparation for the show on the fourth day.

The show was a wonderful success and gave the camp participants experience in the show ring, as few had ever actually shown. Everyone began the morning with jitters but by the end of the day were laughing and cracking jokes. After lunch, we did a short lecture on flying lead changes and answered some theoretical questions regarding different types of training techniques. We then split into two groups again, and Zack worked with a 2-year-old in the round pen, while I took four of the students into the indoor pen to work on showmanship. We wrapped up the day by helping some of the people load their horses into the trailer and gave them some new ideas about how to teach young horses to load.

We have had a wonderful time in Austria and hope we will be lucky enough to someday come back to visit. However, it is now time for us to head back to the States, as school will be starting again soon.

It is amazing how fast the time has gone by while we have been here, and we are so thankful to both AQHA and their affiliates for hosting the horsemanship camps. The camps are not only a learning experience for the participants themselves, but also for the teachers.

The old saying “If you really want to learn something, teach it” is quite fitting.

Thanks for sharing in my wonderful experience!

Alicia Daugherty
AQHA international intern

Related Posts:

• Kreuth, Germany, Camp 2009
• Germany Camp 2009
• Poland Camp 2009
• Denmark Camp 2009
• 2010 Horsemanship Camp in Austria