TRAINING & CLINIC INFORMATION

Our horsemanship program is geared towards training horses for pleasure, trail, ranch work, all-discipline entry-level showing, and all around versatile using horses that are a pleasure to be around.

Read more about Horsemanship

Sue has started her fair share of show horses, dressage and hunter/jumpers in the past, but good steady companion horses are now her specialty. 

Sue uses traditional horsemanship techniques, including a round pen and various skills adapted from trainers like the Dorrance brothers, Ray Hunt and Buck Brannaman.

In addition, Sue Watkins incorporates skills she has learned over the past 40 years from her childhood riding at a private Hunter/Jumper Academy, to packing in the Rockies, starting wild mustangs or training exotic animals for movies and circuses as well as instructing Sheriff’s mounted search and rescue units and riding 100’s of miles doing ranch work.

When your horse comes for training, lessons or clinics we ask that you tell her what specific issues you are having with your horse, and the goals you have for the two of you. Those issues will be addressed and/or those skills taught to the horse first and then she’ll work with you to make sure that you know how to correctly ask the horse to do what they have been taught. 

Sue trains from the ground up; a solid foundation is the key to any great horse. It doesn't matter the end discipline a horse will have, they all need a foundation of respect. Sue’s training goal is to have an end result of a truly broke horse in everyway from picking up its feet, standing tied, leading and riding.  They must have as much respect for you on the ground as they do when you’re in the saddle.



She will start with teaching respect and space to your horse then move on to confidence building using "de-spooking" techniques. This includes exposure to "scary" things like trail obstacles, trash bags, umbrellas, noise makers, farm animals etc. This will help make sure that when you are out riding and you encounter a similar scary obstacle that your horse will remain calm, soft on the bit and in tune with you the rider.

Along with desensitizing, she expects a horse to be soft in the face, responsive off the leg, know how to bend, do lateral moves, stand quietly and be responsible for his/her actions and know that there are consequences for being disrespectful to humans in any way. Once a horse is shown the correct way to act it is easy for them to stay in that frame of mind and learn to like praises for being respectful.

Horses that know they have boundaries are much happier because they know who the leader is and they relate to that.

Resident training includes day trips, being taken on trail rides, transported in trailers, ridden alone and with others in the arena and on the trail, taken to shows, etc.

Whether your goal is working cattle/roping, English/Western showing, trail trials, MSAR or pleasure riding, while in training your horse will be used in every real life scenario possible that relates to your goals and requests.

CLINICS:

One and two day clinics are available throughout the year,  at our facility or yours. Clinics can be modified depending on needs. Plenty of time is kept available for individual problems and Question/Answer time.

Clinics range from $50.00 - $200.00 per rider, from 10 – 20 riders and one or two days. Auditors are always welcome for a small fee. Sponsoring person/facility allotted 1 – 2 rider spots. Listed below are our standard clinic subjects, other subjects available (just ask!):

• ‘Horsemanship by the Numbers’ ^TM:

Basic horsemanship skills, starting with ground work for space respect and manners, continuing with riding, suppleing, lateral movement, one rein stop and ending with control over obstacles. Learning to use as little as you can (a ‘1’) but as much as you need (a‘10’) While always trying to ride in a ‘0’ pressure world.

• Balance and Rhythm Ground Work:

Learning how to do proper ground work to teach space respect, learn to read your horse’s body language, hind quarters disengagement, separate forehand and hind quarters, forward impulsion, trailer loading, and in-hand control over obstacles. 

• Sensory Training:

Mounted patrol / Mounted Search and Rescue training. Desensitizing training for horse and rider. Learn control under stress and over unnatural obstacles, teamwork, search techniques, group drills, reading your horses’ body language.

• Basic Ranch Skills:

Learn how to make your horse a good solid partner for trail, camping or ranch work. Open gates, throwing a rope, pulling objects, pony another horse, hobble, trail obstacles, ride in groups, stand quiet, cowboy etiquette, and more

Monthly Training Fees:

Standard Full Training:

$700.00 per month includes board, fed hay 2x per day. Full training includes an average of five sessions per week and may include round pen work, ground work and/or on and off site riding. One or more session per week may be used as an owner lesson provided the horse in training is deemed safe for owner to ride. Training plans and goals will be individualized for each horse.

$650.00 per month for owners of horses purchased from Kiger de los Californios as well as other qualifying Kigers. Qualifying owners receive a $50.00 discount on monthly training and $5.00 off lessons.  Discount does not apply to other fees (cattle, shows, travel, arena, clinics, etc).

Owner/Rider must agree to take lessons during and after horse is in training, to learn how to ride as a team.

Mandatory training commitments:

‘Green’/unbroke/problem horses:
Horses that are being started under saddle for the first time, are from the wild or have a known major behavior problem must be in training for a minimum of 90 days the first time.

Previously trained (saddle broke) horses
Previously trained (saddle broke) horses must be in training for a minimum of 60 days the first time. After the initial training, horses can come back or stay in training by the week or month. 

Riding Lessons:

Private or Semi-Private:

$45.00 per lesson standard riding lesson on your horse.  

$60.00 per lesson on school horse, if I travel, or for an unstated or problem horse.

$15.00 Phone Consultations

New students must start with a training package of 4 weekly lessons for $175.00

Horse Training Lesson:

$50.00 Evaluate a horse for training or purchase.

$65.00 Training horse to load in trailer (will need more then one lesson).

$60.00 per lesson I ride/train your horse at your location. Must have round pen and/or arena available,

$65.00 per lesson if I bring a horse or trailer, or the lesson is for an unstated or problem horse.

Over 40 miles from KCA add $1.00 mile one way.

Other services available on an individual basis.

Please Note:

• All lessons are a minimum of one hour or as long as needed to accomplish the desired results

• All students are expected to prepare for and clean up after lessons.  Students are responsible for knowing how to catch, groom, saddle, bridle, cool out, and clean up the horse they use in a lesson.

• Helmets are recommended. All students under 18 will wear a helmet while riding.

• All students will wear appropriate clothing and protective footwear with closed toes and a low heel while working around horses.

• A lesson may be cancelled by the student up to 24 hours before the scheduled lesson time without penalty.  Lessons cancelled within 24 hours of the scheduled time will be charged a 50% of the normal lesson rate cancellation fee.

• Students are expected to be completely ready and have their horse ready and warmed up for the lesson/clinic at least 10 minutes before the start time.

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 www.outfitters4cyberspace.com

Copyright © 2008 by Kigers De los Californios. All rights reserved.
Revised: 07/29/10 09:42:51 -0600.