Amy Heartfield, AQHA’s international intern, returns to Texas after finishing up the last two horsemanship clinic camps in Germany and Switzerland.

The Sam Houston State University horsemanship clinic team poses at the Stocker Hof Ranch in Germany. Photo by Amy Heartfield.

Howdy from Texas!

I am finally home after finishing up the last two camps in Switzerland and Germany with the horsemanship clinic team from Sam Houston State University.

The team put on a wonderful clinic, which incorporated its definition of horsemanship: “the ability to effectively communicate with a horse according to the work at which you desire to achieve.”  This philosophy incorporated a wide variety of western events, including western pleasure, reining, trail, showmanship and western horsemanship.

Each clinic was structured with two main groups so that participants had more one-on-one attention.

During the clinics, the team focused on the basics of horsemanship, which allowed riders to concentrate on their individual needs. To wrap up each clinic, the Sam Houston team put on a mock horse show on the last day, complete with ribbons and prizes.

In Switzerland, members of the Sam Houston team had a group of approximately 25 people.  The team enjoyed cooler weather during the day and even showed off two-stepping skills at the barbecue one evening.

In the days before the clinic, the team was shown around the beautiful Swiss countryside, which included  a visit to a deer farm. Also, the camp participants showed the Texans different types of Swiss food and other aspects of their culture.

Solid fundamentals are the key to success in the saddle.  AQHA’s “Fundamentals of Horsemanship” will give you the inspiration, skills and confidence to create a more rewarding relationship with your horse. Order your copy today!

In Germany, the Sam Houston team taught a clinic at the Stocker Hof Ranch, owned and operated by Fe Clemens.  At this clinic, once again there were approximately 25 people, and as before, riders were split into two groups.

One day before the clinic, the team members had the opportunity to visit the neighboring country of Holland, where they toured a small town and went on a river boat tour. During the camp, we dined on many traditional German dishes, including strudel and a variety of pastries. On the last evening, we all went to the city of Düsseldorf and visited the Rhine River.

But, alas, the horsemanship camp at the Stocker Hof Ranch was the last clinic of the summer, and now all of the teams and I are back home in the United States. And for many of us, college has started once again.

This summer was a wonderful experience for me, and I truly enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people.  Thank you to everyone I met along the way – you have made this summer one I will never forget.

Thanks for joining me on my journey this summer – and Happy Trails!

Amy Heartfield
AQHA International Intern

Amy Heartfield, AQHA’s international intern, and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls horsemanship clinic team have been in Italy for the past few days, teaching, training and soaking up the sunshine.

Jennifer Cassle works with a camp participant on one of many drills that were worked on during the camp. Photo by Amy Heartfield.

I have spent the last week in Italy with the University of Wisconsin-River Falls horsemanship clinic team. The camp took place at Casanova Quarter Horses in Asti, Italy.  The team had a wonderful time learning about the Italian culture and teaching the small group of 10 riders.

During the camp, riders focused on horsemanship, western pleasure, trail and showmanship.  The UWRF team worked on the basics before progressing on to an upper-level trail course.  This included  bending and getting full control of the shoulders, hips and ribs.  In addition, the student coaches worked on straight lines and stopping on a loose rein.

Each afternoon, there was a lecture by AQHA judge Kris Hiney, who traveled with the university, about the fundamentals of judging different classes.  The clinic ended on Day 4 with a fantastic Italian lunch, and the UWRF team headed to Venice for some sightseeing.  I will meet up with them again in Kreuth, Germany, for a clinic at Gut Matheshof.  Colorado State University students will be on their way to Germany next, and Sam Houston State University reps will be finishing up their clinic in the Czech Republic.

Arrivederci and Happy Trails!

Amy Heartfield
AQHA International Intern

Amy Heartfield, AQHA’s international intern, and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls horsemanship clinic team have been teaching and enjoying the German hospitality in Kreuth, Germany.

Jeremy Woodhouse does a sliding stop on a draft horse in Kreuth, Germany. Photo by Thomas Bauderer.

Kreuth, Germany: home of the annual AQHA European Championships. The facility in Kreuth was also host to the latest horsemanship clinic that I attended.

I spent the past few days with Jeremy Woodhouse, Jennifer Cassel, Rebecca Meinen and Kristina Hiney from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls for one of the largest clinics yet. With approximately 30 people, there was a wide variety of interests.

The camp was broken up into two groups, and each group rode twice a day for a total of about four hours each day per group. This allowed more one-on-one instruction for each participant.

The first two days of the camp were devoted to covering the basics, and the campers worked on bending, stopping, backing, speed control, proper body position for the rider and working on a perfect circle.

On days three and four, participants had the opportunity to work on more specialized events, including horsemanship, reining and showmanship. Here, they got to test what they had learned the previous days and apply it to a show-type pattern. On the last day, there was an opportunity for riders to work on any maneuver or event that they felt they needed to work on.

AQHA’s “Reining Basics With Craig Johnson” is a valuable addition to any horseman’s DVD library, whether you are a beginning horse enthusiast learning to ride or an accomplished rider.

When they were not riding, the participants got to learn about proper nutrition for a horse and in addition, watched a colt-starting demonstration. Jeremy Woodhouse put the first two rides on a 3-year-old filly on days three and four. The filly had never been saddled, and onlookers got to watch each step, from “sacking out” a colt to swinging a leg over the saddle for the first time.

The team also enjoyed getting to know the participants, not only during the day at the clinic, but at the barbecue and other wonderful dinners provided by the hosts.

Happy Trails!

Amy Heartfield
AQHA International Intern

From working cow horse demonstrations to visiting the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Amy Heartfield, AQHA’s international intern, had the experience of a lifetime in Austria with the Colorado State University horsemanship clinic team.

Barb Pfeifer, from the Colorado State University horsemanship clinic team, pretended to be a cow for AQHA international director Gerold Dautzenberg during the working cow horse demonstration at Gerold's Longview Ranch in Wilhelmsburg, Austria. Photo by Amy Heartfield.

Despite the cold and rainy weather, the camp had about 25 participants and all of them wanted to concentrate on the western style of riding.

The five girls from Colorado State University –Pam Harmeyer, Kate Auchmoody, Barb Pfeifer, Alexandra Eason, Megan Grieve — combined a variety of lectures with their riding schedule for the full horsemanship experience.

The days were divided as follows:

Day 1:

Concepts for riding: leg and hand placement and transitions. The lectures included anatomy and first aid taught by Pam Harmeyer. In the evening, there was a versatility cow horse demonstration taught by Alexandra Eason.

Day 2:

The CSU horsemanship clinic team continued to work on transitions, as well as learning about natural and artificial aids that control moving the hip, shoulders and ribs.  The lecture included horse behavior as well as bits and bitting, taught by Barb Pfeifer.

Day 3:

The participants worked on preparing for a horsemanship class. This included doing work with no stirrups in addition to working on two-tracking and simple lead changes.  That day’s lecture was taught by Kate Auchmoody and featured trailer safety.

Day 4:

The group worked on stopping and rollbacks, as well as leg yields and lead changes.

The beautiful Longview Ranch had two large covered arenas to accommodate the riders.  When the team members were not at the ranch, they spent time in Vienna, getting to see sights such as the Spanish Riding School, the Vienna Zoo and a plethora of museums and palaces.  When asked what their favorite thing about Austria was, the responses included: “Getting to be a ‘cow’ for the versatility demonstration” and “Making new friends and seeing new places.”

Austria was wonderful, the Colorado State horsemanship clinic team is traveling to Holland for a clinic, and I will be leaving for Italy to meet up with the University of Wisconsin River Falls team.

Auf Wiedersehen and Happy Trails!

Amy Heartfield
AQHA International Intern

Amy Heartfield, AQHA’s international intern, and the Texas Tech University horsemanship clinic team have been in Germany for the past few days, teaching, training and enjoying the cool weather.

The team takes a short break in between clinics. Photo courtesy of Amy Heartfield.

The Texas Tech University horsemanship clinic team recently taught a camp in Sassendorf, Germany, hosted by John and Diana Royer at the Five Star Ranch.

The majority of clinic attendees were interested in the western riding style, particularly learning the art of riding a reining horse.

The first day of camp was spent working on bending the horses to get increased flexibility and suppleness, as well as obtaining full control of the shoulder, hips and ribs. Then, after lunch, Luke England and True Burson gave a lecture on bits.

For the next three days, the team focused on more bending, speed control, stopping and a variety of horsemanship and reining patterns.

When practicing horsemanship, the instructors from Texas Tech did not hesitate to do exercises that would increase the balance and riding ability of the clinic participants. This included taking away their stirrups and asking them to ride at a posting trot. This proved to be not only difficult but also very entertaining for the onlookers.

On the last day, the team did some fun horsemanship relay races. For those who wanted to focus on reining, additional stopping exercises were demonstrated and worked on in the outdoor arena.

AQHA’s “Reining Basics With Craig Johnson” is a valuable addition to any horseman’s DVD library. Order your copy today!

On to the Fun Stuff

After the clinics, we had the opportunity to travel a bit and experience different parts of the German culture.

Our hosts took us to the local Schützenfest. Schützenfest, or “shooting festival,” has been celebrated in German towns for many years.

We also got to see a castle and eat at a restaurant built in the 1500s. After leaving Sassendorf, we spent a night in Düsseldorf, and from there the Texas Tech horsemanship clinic team left to return to Texas.

I had a fantastic time traveling with the Texas Tech team, and I look forward to meeting the team from Colorado State in Austria.

Amy Heartfield
AQHA International Intern

Amy Heartfield, AQHA’s international intern, and the Texas Tech University horsemanship clinic team teach riders on the island of Gotland, Sweden.

Kelsey Stokes, True Burson, Luke England, Amy Heartfield and Mattie Dunshee just finished up a clinic in Gotland, Sweden. Gotland, an island outside of Sweden, is popular not only for tourists from around the world, but for western riding enthusiasts. Photo by Ask Hyldgaard.

Right after their arrival in Gotland, Sweden, the Texas Tech University horsemanship clinic team got the opportunity to watch a trotting race, as well as a Swedish playday. The playday included classes such as ranch trail, reining and roping, as well as skiing behind horses. After trying their hand at arena skiing, the team settled in to teach their first three-day clinic.

Topics in the clinic covered everything from basic horsemanship to spins and rollbacks. There were approximately 20 people that attended the clinic, and they were interested in many different aspects of western riding. The participants were divided into groups so that they could have more one-on-one instruction. These groups rotated to different arenas to work on what they were most interested in.  One arena had a trail course in it, one had a horsemanship pattern, and one arena worked on reining.

There were also several participants interested in roping, and in the evenings everyone tried their hand at throwing a rope. In Gotland, you can not rope live animals, so everyone tried their hand at roping the dummy.  They did this not only from the ground, but pulled the dummy with a four-wheeler and roped from a horse, as well.

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When the team was not at the arena, they were taken fishing, to a Swedish barbecue and swimming in a lake. The last day, they got a tour of Visby, the largest town in Gotland.

The clinic in Gotland was very successful, and the team members are looking forward to their last clinic at the Five Star Ranch in Germany.

After the Texas Tech team goes home, I will meet up with the horsemanship clinic team from Colorado State University in Vienna, Austria. I hope that everyone continues to follow us in our travels!

Ha en bra dag and happy trails!

Amy Heartfield
AQHA International Intern

Amy Heartfield, AQHA’s international intern, and the Texas Tech University horsemanship clinic team take Texas to Denmark as they teach riders how to work cattle.

True Burson, of the Texas Tech University horsemanship clinic team, works a horse on a flag in Tørsbøl, Denmark. Photo by Amy Heartfield.

Hej from Denmark!

The Texas Tech University horsemanship clinic team just sepent the past week teaching in Denmark. We spent two days in Ringsted giving a short working cow horse clinic before moving on to the main clinic in Tørsbøl.

The participants in the cow horse clinic practiced working the flag on the first day and then moved to working cattle the next day. Cattle are much harder to procure in Denmark than in Texas, so all of the participants were very eager to try their hand at it.

After our short stay in Ringsted we moved to Tørsbøl, where we spent the remainder of our time in Denmark. There were aproximently 15 people at this clinic, and they were then split into two smaller groups to receive more one on one time. The groups worked on things such as horsemanship, trail and reining. They learned new drills and did extensive pattern work.

Solid fundamentals are the key to success in the saddle.  AQHA’s “Fundamentals of Horsemanship” books and DVDs will give you the inspiration, skills and confidence to create a more rewarding relationship with your horse.

When we were done with the clinic each day, our host family showed us around Denmark. They took us to the beach, where we got to swim with jellyfish, and to a Ringridning festival. Ringridning is a Danish sport where a horse and rider must aim at small rings with a pole while maintaining a lope.

We had a fantastic stay in Denmark, and we are looking forward to our next stop: Gotland, Sweden.

Hav en god daay og and happy trails!

Amy Heartfield
AQHA International Intern

Amy Heartfield, AQHA’s international intern, and the Texas Tech University horsemanship clinic team finish their first clinic, which lasted four days in Hamar, Norway.

Kelsey Stokes, True Burson, Amy Heartfield, Luke England and Mattie Dunshee gather around after the Texas Tech University horsemanship clinic in Hamar, Norway. Photo by Heidi Gronvold.

Hilsen fra Norge!

We just finished up a wonderful first clinic in Hamar, Norway. The Texas Tech University horsemanship clinic team taught 27 people the fundamentals of horsemanship, and in the meantime, we were able to learn about and enjoy the Norwegian culture.

During the four days of the clinic, riders worked on things such as being able to move the hip and shoulder of the horse, and they also learned the components of reining, trail, horsemanship and lead changes. The people were wonderful and seemed very eager to learn.

In addition to teaching, Luke England and True Burson also put on a colt-breaking demonstration. They took a 3-year-old and not only put a saddle on it for the first time, but were able to lope, turn and stop on it by Day 3. Clinic participants also enjoyed learning how to rope from “real Texas cowboys” and were very eager to try their hand at it.

AQHA’s Fundamentals of Horsemanship books and DVDs will give you the inspiration, skills and confidence to create a more rewarding relationship with your horse. Order your copy today!

On the third day, the kids took it upon themselves to teach us something and showed us how to vault on horses. Vaulting is most often described as gymnastics on horseback, and it was quite a challenge. We were taught how stand on a horse, in addition to being able to mount a horse from a lope. There were a lot of youth participants at the clinic, as well as several girls who will be on the Norwegian Youth World Cup team.

When we were not at the arena, we were graciously shown around Norway, and we even got to ride Icelandic ponies through the mountains. We had a fantastic time in Norway, and we are looking forward to another wonderful clinic in Denmark.

Click on the photos to view the accompanying captions.

Ha en god dag and happy trails!

Amy Heartfield
AQHA International Intern

Join Amy Heartfield, AQHA’s international intern, as she travels across Europe this summer.

Amy Heartfield is AQHA's 2011 international intern. Follow Amy this summer as she teaches horsemanship clinics across Europe.

Hi everyone!

My name is Amy Heartfield, and I am this year’s AQHA international intern. I am a senior agricultural leadership and development student at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. I am originally from Belton, Texas, and I have been riding horses for most of my life.

This year, I will be privileged to travel with four different universities — Texas Tech University, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Colorado State University and Sam Houston State University — around Europe to teach horsemanship clinics.

Between the four universities, we will travel to 10 European countries, and the universities will host a total of 14 horsemanship camps.

I am extremely excited to be a part of this fantastic program, and I hope you all will join me on our travels. I will be posting updates and pictures from the camps as often as possible. I encourage you to keep up with us as we travel from country to country– we would love to share this experience with all of our AQHA friends!

Happy trails!

Amy Heartfield
AQHA International Intern

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.

They broke up riding time with lectures on bits, safety and a special “Ask the Judge” session with Dr. Cavinder. By the final day, everyone was exhausted but happy. All the participants had learned something new, and everyone was grateful for the instruction.

A&M went on to Poland for a third camp, and I went on to meet with Colorado State University in Italy.

Stay tuned.

Click on pictures for description

Happy Horsin’

Mercedes Sotelo
AQHA International Intern

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

Basic 3: Bridle up/collection

They started the clinic by teaching the participants how their reins communicate with their horses. They taught the direct rein, indirect rein of opposition and how and when to use less rein or neck rein a horse. Once everyone had sufficient control of their horses, they moved into the rest of the horse’s body. They taught stops, spins and rollbacks and had the group using them through reining, trail and horsemanship patterns. They also spent a decent amount of time on speed control and lead changes, simple and flying.

Three ways to catch a lead:

• Use inside hand and outside leg
• Use outside hand and outside leg
• Rollbacks

Overall, the team was impressed with the quality of horses and riders in Gotland. After every hard day of work, the team was pleasantly surprised with an evening activity the participants had planned for us. We had a barbecue by the Baltic Sea, got a tour of the main town (Visby) and even got to explore some caves and shop a little on the last day.

Enjoy the pictures, and stay tuned for Malmo, Sweden!

Click on the pictures for a description.

Happy Horsin’

Mercedes Sotelo
AQHA International Intern

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.

Day 1

Making sure everyone was on the same page, the trainers taught and practiced bending and counter-bending for the majority of the day. They worked the shoulder, ribs and hips at the walk and jog. After the lunch, Alicia and Levi talked to the group about bits.

Day 2

Warming up with the same bending exercises, they quickly split the group and had them practice lead departures in one arena and learning the correct way to stop and turn in the other. TTU likes to keep the concept of forward motion and shoulder control in all of their workouts, and by the end of the day, things were finally starting to click for the participants. Will Wallendorff gave a nutrition lecture in the afternoon that focused on the basics of maintaining a healthy horse.

Day 3

After warming up the horses, the participants broke back into groups. In the large outdoor arena, Alicia, Ashley and Sarah took the group through a horsemanship pattern and an out-of-the-arena trail course that included a gate, sidepass over logs, uphill jog-overs and a serpentine. Levi and Will taught stops in the covered arena. After lunch, I gave my spiel on the AQHA and the many grand benefits of being a member.

Day 4

TTU spent the last day working on individual horse and rider teams as much as possible. They really took the time to work on specifics that the participants wanted to practice and/or learn.

Camp Highlight: Sarah asked John what he was training the [Arabian] horse he was riding for. His response: “Survival”

Texas Tech students will be heading back home to Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday. They are all very appreciative for the opportunity to travel and teach here in Europe and wanted to say “Thank You” to all the amazing hosts they had along the way.

I am headed to Sweden to meet up with Texas A&M.

Enjoy the pictures and stay tuned.

Happy Horsin’

Mercedes Sotelo
AQHA International Intern