BETHANY – Do you understand your horse? Are there behaviors that you would like to teach your horse or you do not want?

A series of three seminars on Equine Communication Skills will be presented June 11 and 12 in Bethany. The Seminars cover human and equine body language, the use of the Round Pen, teaching the mental and emotional components of the horse, and show how a rider can ask the horse for desired behaviors from the ground and then mounted.

The Introductory Seminar on Saturday morning, titled “Who The Horse Is,” includes a detailed explanation of equine thinking, herd dynamics, and how the round pen becomes a classroom for communicating with your horse. A demonstration with a horse shows how this actually works. Participants will then have hands-on experience in the round pen with an experienced horse and coach in order to sample this technique personally.

The Intermediate Seminar, titled “Training – Mental and Emotional,” will follow on Saturday afternoon. Building upon the first session, it shows how communication in a manner that is understandable to the horse can be used to teach the horse to solve problems rather than instinctively running away. It covers more advanced work, such as “sacking out” and “spook in place,” plus techniques to use when a round pen is not available.

 The Advanced Seminar, titled “Riding Communication,” will run on Sunday morning. It covers the transition from on-the-ground training to communicating with your horse while riding. This session looks at balance and the use of  “calm down” and directional cues.

The format for each seminar is an explanation with a take-home handout, a demonstration, and a hands-on period for participants. Auditors are welcome. Each session is a prerequisite to the next level because of the in-depth theory that is presented (attendance at previous Round Pen Technique Seminars meets the prerequisite).

The fee is $75 to participate and $50 to audit. Attendees are asked to bring the following comfort items: chair, lunch on Saturday, clipboard and pencil/pen, insecticide, sunscreen, sun/rain protection, warm jacket, etc.

If your horse fidgets, crowds you, is excitable, or just confuses you with his/her behavior, consider attending these seminars to learn about equine communication and how you can use it to smooth your relationship with your horse(s).

Also covered is how to use the communication techniques to prepare the un-ridden horse for a saddle and rider.

Registration is required as space is limited. Contact Judith@EssnJay.com (or 203-393-1590) with questions and to register.

Equine Husbandry

Any horse lovers and owners who wish to learn more about correct horse care will be happy to hear about the CEU courses in Equine Husbandry at Post University.

The courses can be taken in any order and are open to anyone interested – no pre-requisites are required. They will run for eight weeks, three hours one night per week in the evening and can earn CEU credits or be for personal enrichment.

The next unit in the program – Stable Management II – will start on Wednesday, June 22 and run for eight weeks. The classes run from 6:30 to 9:20 pm in Room 112 in Hess Hall.

As many people know, it is fairly easy to find someone to teach you riding, but much harder to acquire the knowledge to keep a horse in top condition. This series of courses will address this need as they cover the necessary information horse owners require to take care of horses efficiently.

Stable Management II will have some practical components as it covers barn design and organization, pasture care and fencing, basic records and bookkeeping, legal considerations, as well as insurance Requirements.

Future courses will be offered in Stable Management I, Equine Anatomy, Equine Health, Basic Horse Care, and Horse Ownership.

To earn CEU credits the cost is $500; to audit the course, the cost is $350.

To register, or for more information, call the Equine Department at Post University at 203-596-4631 or email cBaker@post.edu.