Advancing Groundskills and Confidence Building – “Alchemy Place” Moonbi, NSW – July 23 & 24

Details about the venue and human accomodation...

"Alchemy Place"

413 Gaol Creek RdMoonbi, NSW

You can find out more details about "Alchemy Place" and it's facilities here.Onsite stay (camping) is available with kitchen and shower facilities. Horse overnight stay is $10/night in a yard.There is some accomodation available in onsite caravans or bring your own.

0428 385 745

Start & Finish Times 9:00-5:00

Prerequisite for this course - Connecting and Fundamental Feel in Groundskills. 

This course is the next progression after the Connecting and Fundamental Feel Course. There is just so much you can do on the ground with your horse.

Learn more about the course content...

You can use groundwork to develop the relationship with your horse, develop a communication system, teach your horse skills that he or she will need when ridden, build your horse's confidence, prepare for trail riding, prepare your horse for easier and safer horse management and vet care practices, prepare for trailer loading, rehabilitate or develop your horse's physical body in readiness for riding, liberty play and to just have fun and enjoy your horse.

The skills learnt here will prepare you for the other groundwork courses I offer.  The Posture, Biomechanics and Rehabilitation course, Positive Reinforcement and Marker Training Course, and the Liberating at Liberty Course. If your horse is not calm enough to be ridden, or too young to be ridden or for any other reason can't be ridden these courses will be great for you. They will set you up to have a safe, confident, happy willing riding horse that is a pleasure to ride. And.... its fun. Groundwork can really be a lot of fun. Apart from teaching your horse skills it can add variety into your training schedule and is a way of exercising your horse when you can't ride, don't feel like riding or don't have enough time to saddle up and ride.

This is  FEEL GOOD HORSEMANSHIP  - it causes horses and humans to FEEL GOOD !!!

This course will review what was learned in the Connecting and Fundamental Feel course and then apply all the principles and philosophies learned to practical tasks with your horse.

Here are some more specifics of what you can learn at this course.

  • Review – walking in connection, head lowering, back up, hind quarter yield, FH yield
  • Body yields – with touching and without touch - The ABC's
  • How to progress to more steps in the yields – Rewarding for the effort of a commitment to the next step.
  • How horses learn. Shaping behaviour.
  • Building Confidence with Approach and Retreat
  • Circling or lungeing
  • Working at higher gaits
  • Handling longer ropes - 22' line
  • Sideways
  • Using obstacles  – poles, jumps, tarps, cones, barrels - whatever is available to build confidence, for stimulating challenges and as preparation for things that might be needed in the future (fun events, challenges on trail rides, trailer loading for examples). Get creative - How many things can you do with an obstacle?
  • Trail walking - preparing your horse for trail rides.

Come along with or without your horse.

Of course if you can bring your horse along your learning will be maximized as nothing beats hands on experience and having direct feedback from a supportive instructor to accelerate your learning. However the other option for attending these courses is to come and participate without a horse, in which case you would actively participate in all of the theory sessions, Q & A sessions, most  simulations as well as watch the demonstrations and observe those with horses practice the techniques. People coming without their horses are not just fence sitters. All of these "non-hands on" with horses sessions actually make up a big percentage of this course so the fee is priced appropriately.

Investment The cost to come with your horse is $440 for 2 days EB (early bird) Price - if full payment is made before  July 15. After that the price is $480. The cost to come without your horse is $65/day or $130 for 2 days EB prices - if full payment is made before  July 15. After that prices are $75/day or $150 for 2 days.

PLEASE NOTE: No stallions without prior permission. Ideally bring the horse that you had in the Connecting and Fundamental Feel course so you are ready to progress. For questions regarding the course content, horsemanship or eligibility for the course contact Mel 0428 385 745 mel@melfleming.com
Please scroll down for booking forms.

 

'Functional Saddling' consultations, BALANCE saddles, Private lessons & Bodywork sessions -

 

These sessions are available the day before or after the course or in the mornings or evenings of the course.

Find out more details about these sessions

COMPREHENSIVE saddling consultations where you test ride several BALANCE saddles or saddles of your choice take 1.5 to 2 hrs. and cost $165.  They involve riding in your own current saddle and experimenting with padding arrangements and or adjusting gullets (if possible) to see if  we can improve things with your current saddle. You can ride in several saddles of your choosing (that you bring along) and that you wish to get feedback on. We then test ride a BALANCE saddle to use as a comparison to determine how well your horse moves in its own saddle/s compared to a saddle that is known to be ergonomically designed for horses and riders to maximise comfort and performance.
 
Riding in the saddles is the best way to get direct feedback from the horse - this way we listen to the horse's opinion (and yours) rather than someone else's. Having a few saddles to feel as comparisons is important (BALANCE saddles or other) in this process.
 
If your horse did prefer the BALANCE saddle and you were potentially interested in purchasing one (second hand or new), we would then test ride several different models of the BALANCE saddles to see exactly which one is the best for both the horse and yourself. Interlaced into this session is advice on riding and biomechanics for horse and rider as required and as appropriate to the level of experience of the horse and rider.
 
MINI saddle consultations - It is possible to do shorter saddling consults where we do not test ride many or any saddles and I can just give you my opinion and recommendations based on my experience. This is priced according to the time taken. eg. $55 for 30 mins or $30 for 15 mins. Get in touch if you want advice on whether you need a Comprehensive saddle consult or if a Mini consult will suffice.
 
Private Lessons/ Training sessions  are $110/hr  (Coaching in groundwork, riding, trailer loading, problem solving, healthcare and management).
 
Bodywork   Energetic Bodywork and or PEMF  (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) treatments $110 Equissage treatments  $88

 

 

 

 

 

 
To get more details or book a saddling consultation, private lesson or bodywork session email Mel or call 0428 385 745.  
Letting me know as soon as you can if you are interested in one of these sessions will help me schedule things to make sure I can fit you in. These sessions are available the day before or after the course or in the mornings or evenings of the course.

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