GROWTH and FUN THROUGH
​NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP

Relationship building is key to having a happy and safe farm, therefore Natural Horsemanship is a big part of horse training at Spring Brook Farms, as well as developing a person's horsemanship skills to help grow confidence, improve communication, and build relationship skills. Many of the foundational and present masters' work and books including Pat Parelli, John Lyons, Clinton Anderson, Ray Hunt, Mark Rashid, Buck Brannaman and Tom Dorrance to name a few have influenced my growth and philosophies of working with horses and people.
Our activities mainly focus on the groundwork techniques developed and taught by Pat Parelli known as
The Seven Games.
​*Natural Horsemanship is a philosophy of working with horses based on the horse's natural instincts and methods of communication, with the understanding that horses do not learn through fear or pain, but rather from pressure and the release of pressure.

DEFINITION

Horsemanship Fun is a program that focuses on teaching on ground horsemanship skills through playing a variety of games with the horses.

GOALS

• Teach and emphasize safety for the person and horse
• Provide a fun and playful learning environment
• Provide education / knowledge of horsemanship
• ​Identify potential for learning unmounted skills
• Goals may be developed by participant, parent, others
• Offer a personalized and quality curriculum
• Stay true to the Parelli method of teaching groundwork while playing The Seven Games
• Develop lesson plans with measurable objectives
• Provide understanding of the benefits of this service 

BENEFITS

• Having fun learning and playing while developing and raising horsemanship knowledge for the benefit of the horse and human
  
• Use of safe horse handling techniques
  
• Widen understanding of horse care 
  
• ​Building relationships with horses
  
• Developing and/or enhancing communication skills 
  
• Broaden problem solving and thinking skills
  
• ​Increased confidence
  
• Enhanced physical coordination

THE PROGRAM

In our program clients are paired with a horse to learn techniques of unmounted Natural Horsemanship. The focus of life skills is secondary. The beauty is life skills will be enhanced in the process. 
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​The program encourages clients to develop creative problem-solving and thinking skills while taking the non-verbal feedback and expression of the horse into consideration.

​One session may be scheduled or a series of progressive sessions overtime may be necessary to more fully develop horsemanship skills in order to meet the client's needs and goals. Clients would show off their new horsemanship skills in the last session.

​Individual or small group sessions are held at Spring Brook Farms. This program is open and appropriate to anyone age 5 and up that would like to gain horsemanship skills while developing confidence, having fun, and growing in multiple ways.