Foundation Studies Course

Mike and I started teaching classes in horsemanship because we wanted to share our combined knowledge and to make a difference in the lives of people and their horses.

It has been a fantastic experience so far and there have been some very rewarding success stories along the way and we ourselves have continued to extend our skills and knowledge as well. However, we could see a gap!

The people who were coming on a regular basis really starting to improve their horsemanship. We could also see some people who would come to us as well as attending other clinics, or as we like to call it “clinic surfing”, not that there is anything wrong with this as I do believe that we can learn things from multiple sources, provided we are skilled enough to be able to sort through different techniques or ideals and still remain on a solid path forward, and this can be tricky. Through clinic surfing there are many people who get stuck at the same level not improving. To improve we need to step outside of our comfort zone, and we need someone who gets to know us and our horse to help push that envelope.

“If its not challenging its not changing!”  

It is amazing what can happen when someone else believes in our ability and that we are ready for that next step in our journey. I know Mike has certainly pushed my boundaries and I am sure he would agree that I have helped him look at other aspects of horsemanship too. I think we are lucky that we get to challenge each other and refine and improve our own horsemanship skills.

Back to the gap.....

We have structured our courses to go through various levels - Essentials, Primary, Primary Plus and Secondary. However, we were not getting the numbers of people progressing through to the higher levels due to a lack of structure and practice.

This led us to developing the Foundation Studies Course.

So far we have run 3 Foundation Studies Courses and have worked with a couple of different formats and have had great feedback from people on what worked for them and what didn’t.

Why a Foundation Studies Course?

Developing skills in people and horses takes time and practice. Running a course means that people need to make a firm commitment not only to themselves but to their horse as well. The only way to get better at something is to practice it, and practice well. What we are doing is giving people the tools they need to make improvements and changes .....

Having the same group of students over the six classes means:

• We get to know and understand the student and their horse.
• Students get support and friendship from their class mates.
• We are able to structure a program specific to the student and horse.
• Confidence building (same people, less nerves)

We are really excited to be running an Intermediate Foundation Class for people who have already completed a Foundation Studies Course. It is wonderful that they are seeing and feeling the benefits of what they have done so far and they want to continue that journey of improvement.

Some feedback from students of the Foundation Course….

Lisa said:

“I signed up for the foundation course and its been the best thing I could of done. Mike and Faith are brilliant at what they do, they explain things until they make sense! I have learnt so much from them and the bond I have developed with my horse is amazing. Thank you”

Chris said:

“Brilliant! The Foundation Course run by Mike and Faith is a great format and has helped me so much. To find people with the passion for horsemanship and the ability to teach is fantastic. The course is tailored to each participant’s level and needs. Mike seems to have eyes in the back of his head and if you are having difficulty or doing it wrong he is there. If you are going ok he lets you work on it. It is not only the individual attention but you also benefit from watching and listening to the instruction given to the other riders. Mike and Faith share lots of tips and techniques that can be the secret to getting it right. Having the time between sessions to do homework and then discuss my progress at the next session has allowed me to fix issues. Mike and Faith have made me feel welcome to their home and I look forward to my weekends camping at Drifting Sands. Because I have learnt so much and can see how much more there is to learn I joined the 2nd Foundations Course and will sign up again. If Calypso could talk I think he would say thank you for fixing my problem rider. The horsemanship journey continues ….”

We are really looking forward to continuing with the Foundation Studies Courses as we whole heartedly believe in this program and really feel it is the best model to really help make improvements in horsemanship skills and the horses appreciate it too. If this interests you, we encourage you to get in contact with us for course outline and dates available.

Stay focused, go after your dreams and keep moving towards your goals.