This material and its attendant photo illustrations are copyrighted © 2006 by R. J. Sagely. The reprinting or distribution of the whole or any part without express permission of the author is prohibited.

"The Sage
Horsemanship Way"TM

"Helping horsepeople develop a better horse sense."

 

 

Clinic Offerings

"Sage Horsemanship" - Clinic formats and topics are flexible with individualized sessions or group work possible. Individualized sessions are 90 minutes/rider/day of direct, hands-on, you and your horse and me (and maybe my horse), one-on-one instruction. Six rider maximum for this format. Group work clinics are two - three hour sessions/day with a one hour "working" lunch (question/answer) in between. Maximum number of riders is flexible in this format.

Clinic Topics can include: (for details, click on the link)

Follow this link to learn about Sage Horsemanship Learning Programs for your horse.

For details or to begin planning a Sage Horsemanship Clinic at your place email me or follow this link for information on hosting a "Sage Horsemanship" clinic.

"Basic Horsemanship - On the Ground and In the Saddle" -

Learn safe, practical and logical horsemanship skills that are time-honored, time-tested and time-proven. Whether you are a new horse owner or a long time owner looking for more information on how to get along better with your horse. Stay safe while enjoying time together as these clinics could open a whole world of new information and skills to you.

For more details or to begin planning a Sage Horsemanship Clinic at your place email me.

"Colt Starting Clinic" - 5 colt/rider maximum. This is a three or four day, hands-on clinic that will take you and your colt through basic relationship building and groundwork, saddling, intro to snaffle or hackamore, first ride (if you are both ready), stop, go, left, right and a back-up step or two. You will learn and do with your colt so you can carry on his education when you get back home. You will saddle your horse and ride your horse providing you and your horse are ready to take on these challenges. No pressure to do either if you are not ready. "Time is the greatest gift you can give your horse" (Buck Brannaman) so there is always tomorrow when it comes to the first ride of your colt. You'll come away knowing more about how to and when to from this experience.

For more details or to begin planning a Sage Horsemanship "Colt Starting" Clinic at your place email me.

"Cow Work 101" - Even if you or your horse have never "worked" a cow, you can refine your basic horsemanship skills or build on them by giving your horse a job to do. A great clinic for those interested in or just starting out with team penning or those who would like to learn to ranch rope. Learn how to read cattle and how to tune your horse into making the cows move where you want 'em to go. Host/sponsor responsible for providing cattle.

For more details or to begin planning a Sage Horsemanship "Cow Work 101" Clinic at your place email me.

"Ranch Roping (learn more about it by clicking on the link) - from Beginner to Advanced" - These clinics teach the old vaquero skills of a slow, easy and humane way of handling cattle with a catchrope (lariat, la reata). From the Old Californio days comes a tradition of dally roping that allows for the gentle handling of cattle for branding or doctoring work (or just for the fun of roping). Even if you have never swung a rope horseback these clinics can take you and your horse from scratch to catching and handling live cattle just like real working buckaroos and vaqueros have done for two centuries or more.

Tailored to meet the needs of the clinic attendees, there are Basic (no cattle involved), Intermediate or Advanced Level clinics.  This is a fun, exciting and safe way to learn to rope. The operative word is "quiet" with roping done from a standstill or a walk in a controlled setting. This is a great way to further your horse's training and to enhance your own horsemanship skills. This is not calf or team roping, it is slow, quiet and safe for horse, roper and cow. Sponsor responsible for providing cattle.

For more details or to begin planning a Sage Horsemanship "Ranch Roping" Clinic at your place email me.

Saddle & Gear Fit -
The facts and the fallacies about western saddle fit, how a headstall should hang the bit, what the deal is with the hackamore, hot to properly tie on a rope halter... and more. Learn how to assess horse conformation,  judge saddle fit and correctly adjust and position your gear in order to better equip yourself and your horse with saddles and other equipment that works correctly and pain free.

For more details or to begin planning a Sage Horsemanship Clinic at your place email me.

"Buckaroo Boot Camp" or "Cowboy School" Clinic -
If you have ever wanted to learn about what real working cowboys and buckaroos do...

A short course (from 1 day to ?) tailored to fit your program or facility. Participants will learn basic and very traditional skills that are still practiced today by the modern day buckaroos of California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana and Oregon. Instruction can include topics like: How to work safely and humanely around horses and cattle; The use and making of buckaroo style gear; Fundamentals of cow work (horseback, of course); Teaching a horse to hobble; The basics of "making a bridle horse" - hackamore (traditional or true jaquima) to bit (jaquima to freno) horsemanship; Knots and braiding - Tying the rope halter and whole bunch more; Rigging a traditional (rawhide braided bosal) hackamore; An introduction to ranch roping and basic rope work - basic swings, simple catches to advanced rope work (catching and tying down cattle): How to use a catch rope with a horse... other possibilities abound...

For more details or to begin planning a Sage Horsemanship "Buckaroo Camp" or "Cowboy School" Clinic at your place email me.

Jaquima a Freno - Hackamore to Bridle Bit

The early Spanish settlers of Alta California developed a horse and cattle raising culture that took the roots of their horsemanship to new levels. From a history rich in the livestock raising, dressage and war horse disciplines of the Iberian peninsula, the Californios developed new ways of handling wild cattle from on horseback as well as achieving a light rein and lightning response from their mounts. This tradition has been kept alive by a few practitioners since its near demise in the mid-20th century and is now enjoying a well-deserved comeback as folks realize the benefits they can achieve for their horses and with their own horsemanship by its practice. Honest, factual knowledge about the original "bitless" bridle of the braided rawhide bosal and the proper and humane use of the "Californio" spade can be shared either through a one-hour talk/presentation, a 90 minute horseback demonstration or a two day, hands-on clinic. Find out what value the old ways possess for the 21st century horseperson.

For more details or to begin planning a Sage Horsemanship experience at your place email me.

"What Every Horseman Should Know About Feet"- A one day intensive seminar on the the proper trimming and shoeing of a horse. Lower leg anatomy and function, proper foot care, emergency shoeing (how to put one back on), performance horse pointers, horse handling tips to help the owner or the farrier... Learn all that we can cram into 6 hours of instruction about equine feet. Bob can demonstrate proper trimming and shoeing and coach participants in how to evaluate a "Well-Done Horseshoeing Job". The whole show for $600*, unlimited attendance, host can charge admission accordingly.

For more details or to begin planning a Sage Horsemanship Clinic at your place email me.

"Problem Solving"-
I offer problem solving and training for owners who are willing to spend the time it takes to learn to deal effectively, honestly and from the heart with their horse and for their horse's sake. No horse should be expected to be sent away to a trainer and then be considered "fixed" or "problem-solved" without a commitment from the owner to change and grow as a horseman . Without owner education and an ongoing commitment to keeping it "right", the horse is almost certainly going to resume the behavior that got it sent away in the first place.

Problem solving assesses the needs of the horse and the owner and teaches both how to "deal with it", together, in an environment of support and safety. Trailer loading difficulties, bridling concerns, hard to catch, pulling back when tied, difficulty with foot handling... all of these can be very trying to an owner but are typically easily remedied with a little bit of time and knowledge invested.

For more details or to begin planning a Sage Horsemanship Clinic at your place email me.

"Home-Based" Horsemanship-
For those who want to further develop their horsemanship philosophy (mindset) and skills and live close enough to access individual instruction. Topics are tailored to suit the needs of the owner and the horse and delivered in the environment where you and the horse are "doing your thing". This is not traditional riding instruction, it is about developing the essentials of the horse-human relationship. It cuts across all disciplines from western to dressage and everything in between, outside, around and through. Sessions are designed to educate you about all the little things that ensure the kind of interaction with your equine partner that might now only be a dream...

Contact me by email for further details.

*Minimums are based on a minimum appearance/clinic fee for Bob to come to your place. Rider numbers less than the minimum can pay more per rider to meet the minimum appearance fee. Travel, food and lodging expenses need to be added to minimum appearance fees beyond a 50 mile radius of home.

 

If you have any questions about what you read here don't hesitate to drop me a line at: sagehorseman