June 2020 – Community Report
The online course is set up in 15 to 20 minute-ish separate lessons that you have unlimited access to for 6 months and is 5 or 6 clinic days of information at a 3 day price. Keeping the lessons short helps from feeling overwhelmed, and, talking with everyone twice each week to answer any questions has proven to be very helpful for the students. Not to mention – my skills with a selfie-stick! The goal is to support at-home, on-demand learning so before or after attending a camp or clinic you can be much further down the road in less time and answer your questions to all those things you thought you would remember but forgot once you got home. You can access the course and watch the lessons on your phone in the corral if you want and students tell us is very helpful so the task or activity is very clear at the moment they are working with their horse.
In the past I would do a clinic and then not see the same students for 6 months or a year and often with no contact in between. The online lesson series is a way I can stay in touch with many at once and students are really moving the needle. The Facebook group provides a supportive place to celebrate your successes with others that are or have been working and learning the same things you are. The people in the group are inspiring and encouraging each other. When you pass a stage the others in the group know just exactly what it meant to achieve each stage and folks tell us the camaraderie is something they appreciate. We wanted to get it up and running and work out any glitches we could find. It’s been going fairly smooth and now are ready to share the opportunities to everyone. If you are interested in the online lesson series stage 1 is complete and stage 2 is about 2 weeks from completion – we plan to pull together stage 3 in August. Give the office a call and we will fill you in and answer any questions you might have about it. For the private FB group also contact us if you are not a dabbler. We want those seriously wanting to move forward with their horsemanship.
On another note – our annual camps started June 9th and we have new and returning students working hard and having a great time with their horses. A number of very keen students that called me and made sure that the camps were going ahead this year and according to the government we have to play safe and stay under 50 people and that we can do.
50 head of cattle arrived at the end of May – grazing here for the summer and so some of us will be doing cow work with the horses, which is always good for the horses, people and the cattle. I’ve made a few more cross country jumps down in the meadows. August 19-27 we are having our Principles to Purpose 8 day Camp (4 days on, 1 day off then 4 days on). This camp will include cattle work, obstacle challenges, river rides, rope handling for beginners followed by a friends and family camp out with barbecues, team games, chili cook offs, man-tracker and wagon rides. It will be lots of fun and learning planned still following the provincial health suggestions. You should join us – it will be a great time. At the end of the camp we are wrapping up with a Friends & Family Weekend (Fri Aug 28-31) – we’ll need to keep the number under 50 so please – let us know if you can join us. Great times around the camp fire with great company. No horses required!
I also wanted to share a letter from the Hudson Hope School. As some of you know I think it is the third year that the HH school has offered The Horse Ranch Stages program as a course for their students. The course is full every year and has had amazing results on many fronts. Thanks to the progressive thinking and truly dedicated to the students they teach Derick and Caroline Beam and I’m happy to say are relatives and friends of mine and mentors to many approached me about offering the stages program in their school. To make a long story short we all worked together to make it happen. Here are a few words about their story with the students enrolled in the program. Principal Derick’s letter is very inspiring to hear what they have accomplished and that now in their school children can get started on their horsemanship journey towards a career or just learning some valuable life lessons through horsemanship.
Well done Principal Derick and Horsemanship Teacher Caroline, Connie and all others that are involved. Wouldn’t it be nice if the school in your area offered it. Until next time do something good and hope to see you soon!
Cheers, Glenn
A Letter from the Principal, Derick Beam, Hudson’s Hope School
At Hudson’s Hope School, we offer Glenn’s Stage 1 and 2 programs. We have worked closely with Glenn to develop a structure that supports student progress and provides opportunities for interaction with Glenn throughout the process. Our Horsemanship Teacher is a long-time student of Glenn, and provides coaching for the students as they work through their tasks.
The students begin by working with each other in role-playing scenarios where they take turns being the horse and the human, going through the online tasks of Stage 1, as one might do at a clinic Glenn hosts at his home. This gives them a controlled environment in which to learn the correct steps, as well as gain experience with the tools involved, before they get to the horses. It also gives them some insight on the horse’s perspective. We watch Glenn’s’ videos and discuss the theories and research behind natural horsemanship, and explore Glenn’s journey in developing his own horsemanship. This gives them a strong foundation from which to build their own experiences. Once we start working with the horses, students keep a journal and participate in discussions so that they can assess their progress and their opportunities for growth. This process helps them learn to be introspective and analytical.
When a student feels that they are ready, we video their progress and send it to Glenn for assessment. He returns detailed feedback that helps them progress toward successful completion, which they achieve after resubmitting satisfactory work. Students learn that discipline and hard work, as well as an open mind and attention to detail, are important components of success.
Throughout the program, there is an emphasis on how our work with horses affects our daily lives. When asked how the natural horsemanship philosophy can be useful in human interaction, students have given responses like, “use phases before getting mad at someone,” “get out of your comfort zone,” “patience and understanding help me when dealing with people,” “better communication and an ability to form a healthy relationship; healthy relationships need work, and mutual respect,” and my favorite, “[horsemanship] taught me to always fix my problems, not just leave them behind for them to only get worse.”
Every student who has taken this program has enjoyed it immensely, and everyone has experienced an increased quality of life in the process. These kids become more patient and understanding, better communicators, more emotionally and physically fit, better problem solvers, more perceptive and resilient, and more balanced individuals. Their school experience is improved, and the skills they gain benefit them throughout their lives, whether they continue on with horses or not.
While the program itself is always amazingly beneficial to all students, there are some who are profoundly affected. For example, we recently had a young lady on the autism spectrum who was very uncomfortable with any unfamiliar stimulus, and did not cope well in even a low-risk environment. When she began, even the slightest stress, like a misplaced object or being asked to speak in class, would bring her to the edge of control. On the last day of class, she willingly allowed herself to be blindfolded and guided through a challenging obstacle course! Another young man with severe anxiety found great stress relief in working with his horse, and managed to pass Stage 1 in one semester. He had never worked with horses before!
Community building is a big part of Hudson’s Hope’s educational experience. As a K-12 school, we encourage any opportunity for older students to mentor younger children. This horsemanship program is a perfect fit: once the students are comfortable with their skill development, we invite a younger class to join us at the arena, so that the more experienced students can teach what they have learned. This reinforces the horsemanship student’s knowledge while allowing younger students exposure to new ideas (and time with horses!), and encourages positive relationships between grades as well as reinforcing a strong community spirit. Programs like this are why Hudson’s Hope does not have problems with bullying or vandalism.
We at HHESS put a strong emphasis on social responsibility and healthy emotional growth.
We are extremely fortunate to be able to offer this program to our students. Glenn’s program is set in a highly learnable format that is easy to fit into a classroom curriculum. Our students love it, and our school’s culture is richer for it.
April 2020 – Community Report
Hello out there, I hope everyone is doing well in these uncertain times. It’s anything but, business as usual, but I decided to use this time for things I’ve been wanting to do and making sure I don’t waste this opportunity. I’ve been working on lots of fun stuff with my horses, but I have chosen for a few weeks already to work on tripling the educational value for my students. Yes “triple”, I asked myself the question every day until I came up with the answer. So that has been keeping me from playing with my horses for the time being. I’ll get back to them soon.
I started this newsletter a while back, but it didn’t get finished and a lot has happened since I wrote the first draft. I wanted to take the amount and think about what horsemanship has done for us. If you are anything like me, the time I’ve spent improving my horsemanship has done far more than I ever thought it could and wanted to think about that, fill you in on a few things and start sharing amazing, interesting stories from students.
As I briefly mentioned above, I made a commitment to use this time to do the most I could for myself and others and that’s just what we have been doing.
The clinics this spring except for one, all were full with a waiting list. I was excited to get everyone going, but so far we have rescheduled the first two to a later date and may have to reschedule others. The year was looking very busy with both Mane Events and Heart of the Horse plus all the regular camps and clinics. Hopefully, soon, the distancing will be lifted and we can get back to the new normal. I have not been bingeing on the news only watching – maybe a half an hour every 4 days. I’ve been obsessed with what I can use this time for so I can improve the future and the present. We have been steadily planning and organizing, 7 days a week and I usually quit about 9 pm each day. Learning lots and preparing lots.
I asked myself 3 weeks ago how can I give triple the educational value that I presently have? I like to ask myself a question no matter how outlandish it might seem and keep asking myself the question until I come up with an answer. I put my mind to work and then go off about my business. Your mind actually works for free and starts supplying answers, not all good but you just keep asking. It is amazing what your mind can come up with. All the details will be available soon and some people will be starting April 20th. Very Excited!!
The Horse Ranch, what is it we do? What’s it all about?
When this first started [The Horse Ranch] I thought I was going to be teaching people about horses, making people safer, making horses happier. Well, I was in for a big surprise, It has become that and so much more.
Life-changing is what it’s been for me as it has for so many other people as well. 20 years of teaching has flown by with life lessons continually sprinkling down sometimes pouring down.
It feels like nonstop learning, changes and being outside the comfort zone. The circle of people and friends continually growing. People from around the world that we talk with regularly and see each year and wished they lived next door. People that come as clients that are now best friends. Many evenings spent around the campfire or days sharing the view from the top of a mountain. Experiences that started out as a camp or clinic and became a complete change in perspective of where and what we want out of life. Seen things, spoke things, listening to things that moved us to tears of realization, happiness, self-awareness, and personal growth. Made connections that go way beyond the physical with humans and animals to places we might not off known existed. We’ve been scared, frustrated, amazed, humbled, elated, ecstatic, excited, nervous, unsure and thrilled. Doors have opened, opportunities have been presented all these things because we are in pursuit of being safer, having more fun, becoming better for ourselves and our horses. This journey towards becoming a horseman is far more amazing than I had ever imagined.
This last year and the years before are unlike anything I could have imagined before starting down this trail. The depth of change, experiences, struggles and triumphs most of us have felt and witnessed are worth remembering and savoring. Thousands of us have shared experiences with each other here at The Horse Ranch, at competitions in Canada and abroad, learning adventures around the world and many of them were life-changing or at the very least perspective-changing. The more I learn, the more I learn how to learn, the more I realize I need good perspectives, not just a perspective. We’ve watched people do things they knew they couldn’t, listen to people explain about their amazing life changes, watched people make amazing life changes and choices. Seen noisy people get quiet and quiet people get noisy. Seen tears of overwhelm from the sheer beauty of a mountain top or the climb to get there. Tears of accomplishment, tears of frustration and determination of something not quite completed. 
I feel very honored and fortunate to have shared in it with so many and experienced the same things myself. I think the pursuit of Horsemanship and all it brings for us should never be taken for granted. Memories are something we make – so let’s make some more. Thank you, for sharing and being part of my journey.
The Horse Ranch Community has grown well outside the borders of the ranch and extends to many people in many countries. I love seeing and hearing the stories of what pursuing horsemanship has done for so many and it’s the reason that gets me up in the morning. I wanted you to be able to hear the stories from some of the people going down the same path.
Included in this report is a contribution by Jordan Camile. I met Jordan a few years ago, I’m going to say it seems 4 years and it was immediately obvious his desire to learn. I knew this was going to be fun. It has been fun, and he truly has a desire to learn. He was kind enough to write a few thoughts down for me that I thought you might really enjoy.
Glenn
What is your dream with your horse?
- Whatever your dream may be, if you have the horsemanship, you can live the dream. It’s just that simple. Join us The Horse Ranch this summer and live the dream! Now accepting bookings for the summer Horsemanship Camps and Horsemanship Intensive in June – and – new for 2020 our Putting
Principles to Purpose Camp in August. - Glenn offers year-round educational horsemanship programs at his facility near Fort Saint John, BC and is travels leading clinics throughout BC, AB and the USA. Long-term study and professional programs are now available.
- For more information get in touch with us – on Facebook or Instagram or – better yet – call 250 789 3072 – we’d love to hear from you!