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For the Love of HorsesFor the Love of Horses Aahhhhhh, to own horses again...........I dreamed of the day when my children were at an age where I could start enjoying my own interests again! This dream finally came true in the fall of 2006. Instead of doing the sensible thing, I went with my heart and bought two beautiful, young, never been ridden Arabian mares! :) I thought it may be "fun" to train my own and learn more about horsemanship! Boy was I right! The good news is I'm still alive, and walking..... the bad news is eating humble pie is never very tasty. I must say the first three months went well!! I managed, somehow, to convince them that it was ok for me to climb on their backs, move forward, turn right, then left, back up and thank goodness STOP! Reflecting back now, ignorance is truly blissful! :) Then the inevitable happened. It snowed....ALOT.... So, my beautiful green, oh so green, mares enjoyed their hay, each other, and bonded very nicely! Little did I know that for a month and a half they concocted a nice little plan.... Anyone that knows Arabians knows how smart they are!!!!! "The next time that woman shows up with that saddle thingy we are going to have us a good time!" Did I mention how smart they are? Also very athletic......the nice term for wildly energetic!!!! Sooooo, as it goes in this gorgeous country, the cold snap broke, and off I went, saddle in hand, big grin on my face, to the pasture to have us a great time!!! You know the feeling when the horse is actually smarter then you are? Hopefully not....I most definatley do! After they had their fun, I trudged back to the house, saddle in hand, minus the grin to enjoy several meals of humble pie, all in different flavors of yuk. Fast forward another year, plus a young Morgan stud (need I say more), and now the reality of horsemanship was "rearing" its ugly head......... I faced the fact that my dream of horses was dying a slow and painful death. If I was going to do this Horsey thing, I needed some serious HELP! Then it happened..... After going to a few clinics by awesome horsemen, and REALLY eating humble pie..... I found my mentor! I love the Horses All publication, and while reading it, an article on Nettie Barr of www.canadiannaturalhorsemanship.com caught my eye. I knew I needed to talk with her. Wow! Nettie has changed my horsey world!!!!! Just when I was about to give up, she has single handedly given me my Dreams Back!!! Its a wonderful thing when dreams become reality. Nothing can be better. :) Nettie, sensing my desperation, travelled 8.5 hrs south from her home outside of Grande Praire Alberta, graciously giving me a week of her time in Sept,2007. Horsing around has never been the same! For myself and my gorgeous, athletic, smart horses. :) For this I will always be grateful. Nettie is one of those rare people that really loves what she does! She sets people and horses up for SUCCESS. I have hosted six of her clinics so far, and every time she has stayed late, did what it took to make sure that the people and horses in the clinic were successful. She welcomes auditors, and never leaves a question unanswered. Everyone feels safe around Nettie, she has a wonderful way of leaving you and your horse with their dignity. No matter how new you are to horses, or how advanced, or even if you have had a bad experience, and are truly fearful. She also donates her time to local pony clubs to make horsemanship safer, and ultimately fun for kids of all ages! A sure sign of a dedicated teacher. This clinician is a true gem. Her program is designed for saftey, fun & success with horses! I am very proud to have found Nettie and will be hosting more of her clinics. I can be reached for more information, or just a good laugh or two about horses at: 403-619 5635 Here's to many more years of Horsin' around. Birgitta Wilkinson Spirit Stone Ranch Cochrane, Alberta |