Texas A&M’s second camp in the south of Sweden focused on competitive showing.

Back on the Swedish mainland, Dr. Clay Cavinder replaced Dr. Laura White, and the Texas A&M University team conducted its second horsemanship camp. The camp was hosted at the newly renovated Bokeberg Ranch, the same place that held the Swedish Championships the week before we got there.

The grounds were beautiful, and although the team had a smaller group of only about 10, they managed to stay very busy. The group was overall more advanced and had more showing interest and experience, so A&M was able to progress a little faster. They held a “show” theme while they worked on everything from hand positioning and position in the saddle to speed and style through a trail course.

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I met with Texas A&M on an island in the Baltic Sea.

A&M Team

Texas A&M University did a great job on this beautiful island!

I met with Dr. Laura White, Ari Sear, Amy Hartfield and Raul Valdez off the coast of Sweden and watched them conduct an awesome clinic. They had almost 20 participants, which kept the four of them very busy for their three-day clinic. The group was made up of mostly recreational riders with a few light competitors and a small number of serious show riders. The A&M representatives found a way to teach them all something new and to improve upon the basic foundation that all horse people should understand.

Basic 1: Following the nose/lateral movement

Basic 2: Move away from pressure

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Hallo von Bad Sassendorf, Germany!

TTU's Team

Texas Tech University students and I have been here for the past few days teaching, training and eating!

The camp was hosted by John and Diana Royer at Five Star Ranch. They are not only excellent hosts with a fabulous facility but both accomplished riders on their own, and they will be making their American show debut at the 2010 National Reining Horse Association Futurity. The general interest at this barn is western, with a focus on reining. Levi and his team used this interest to form the four-day camp for the almost 30 participants.

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Join me and Texas Tech University at Long View Ranch in Wilhelmsburg, Austria.

Practicing stops in Austria

Hallo!

I have just spent the past four days at Long View Ranch in Wilhelmsburg, Austria. The ranch is owned by Gerold Dautzenberg and run by his beautiful daughter (and amazing host) Gabriele.

Texas Tech was the attending university, and they did a great job! They had an average of 15 participants a day, which allowed the six TTU clinicians lots of one-on-one time with the attendees. Levi Williamson, TTU Ranch Horse Team coach and group leader, started the camp with the basics and worked his way gradually up. On Day 1, he and his team taught bending and basic horsemanship skills, and by Day 4, they were working on sliding Read the rest of this entry »

Come along with me on my European travels this summer!

Hello all!

My name is Mercedes Sotelo, and I am this year’s AQHA international intern. I am a senior equine science and agricultural business student at Colorado State University. I am originally from Orange County, California, and have been riding horses for the greater part of my life. I am going to be traveling this summer with Texas Tech, Texas A&M, the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and Colorado State University.

Between the four universities, we will travel to 10 different European countries, and the schools will host 14 horsemanship camps. I am very excited to be a part of this program and hope you will all join me on our travels. I will be posting as much as possible with pictures and updates from the camps. Check it out and leave me your comments!

Happy Horsin’,

Mercedes

Watch out world … Mexico is coming.

Whizmo is the first to win the trailer given by AQHA and MQHA for the 2009 AQHA Caballo Campeón en Reining de México.

At the Final de Afiliados AQHA/National Reining Horse Association México in Monterrey, Mexico, October 31-November 1, more 100 than entries from across Mexico competed for futurity trophies, year-end honors and a trailer to be awarded by AQHA and their Mexico affiliate Asociacion Mexicana de Criadores y Caballistas Cuarto de Milla (MQHA).

The concept for the show started earlier this year when AQHA and NRHA officials met with the Mexican Quarter Horse Read the rest of this entry »

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. Read the rest of this entry »

The German horsemanship camps were great preparation for the European Championship.

We just finished the second of two International Horsemanship camps in Kreuth, Germany, this year. The first was July 25-28, and the second took place August 1-4. The camp participants ranged in age from 8 to 65, with all levels of riding skills. We had a wide variety of horse breeds between the two camps. In the first camp, we had several Haflinger horses, as well as an Andalusian horse. In the second camp, we again had a Haflinger, but also a Shire and a Creole.

Both camps were divided into two groups. Each group rode two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. Each group was usually divided further during the riding session, enabling the participants to receive more one-on-one instruction.

Both camps were conducted in the same format, with the first day consisting of the basics, such as following the nose, hip and shoulder control, and collection. The second day focused mainly on guiding exercises for reining Read the rest of this entry »

Hello, again!

We made history by completing the first-ever AQHA horsemanship camp in Stare Zukowice, Poland, at the Roleski Ranch. We had 19 participants, 13 riders and six auditors. The participants ranged in age from 13 to 52. The weather has been absolutely wonderful, with lots of sunshine and a slight breeze.

On day 1, we began with the basics of following the nose, giving to pressure, and hip control. That afternoon we conducted a bits and bitting lecture, then rode again from 2 to 6 that evening, working on more collection exercises at the walk, trot and lope.

Day 2 began with class-specific exercises, focusing mainly on reining. We began with the circles and guiding exercise we call the “wagon wheel” drill and the “baseball” drill. We also incorporated lead departures and speed control into the mix. After lunch, Zach Burson did a round pen demonstration with a 2-year-old colt, Read the rest of this entry »

Hello, all!

We have completed the first camp in Sweden, July 14-17, at the Kansli Ridskola in Sala. With the beautiful weather and large arenas, we were able to accomplish a great deal, both outside and inside. The camp consisted of 12 participants and several auditors. They were divided into two groups.

During the first day, A&M team members Cassidy Kurtz, Derrick Caddell, Teresa Meier and Brittanie Wells worked on phases 1 through 3 of their program. Phase 1, following the nose, uses the direct rein to work on flexion and giving to pressure. Phase 2 combines Phase 1 with the use of the indirect rein to gain control of the shoulders. Finally, Phase 3 incorporates both phases 1 and 2 to gain collection at the walk, trot and lope.

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Hello, everyone!

Despite the rainy weather in Bad Sassendorf, Germany, we have successfully completed the camp. When we arrived in Germany, it was sunny and warm, but the day before the camp was cold and wet. Nevertheless, the camp participants and instructors refused to let the rain stop them.

It rained all night before the first day of the camp, so we were unable to use the outdoor pen the first part of the day. Based on rider experience, we decided to divide the 26 participants into three groups, the largest group consisting of nine people. One group would ride in the indoor pen, while the other two groups moved Read the rest of this entry »

Hello, all!

My name is Alicia Daugherty, and I am the international intern this year for the European horsemanship camps sponsored by AQHA. This year, we are sponsoring 13 horsemanship camps in eight different countries. See a schedule of the camps. The camps consist of everything from horsemanship, reining, western riding, western pleasure, trail and even showmanship.

I was unable to attend the first camp in Hamar, Norway, but from what the North Central Texas College team has told me, it was a huge success. Amanda Vidler, a member of the NCTC team, said, “They absorbed the information we had to offer like a sponge.” There were 23 participants at this camp.

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