Horsemanship Day 2 - Catch & Release

Welcome, riders, to Horsemanship day 2 at Homeplace Ranch! As a quick recap, Day 1 consisted of ‘catching’ our horse, learning how to saddle, adjusting bridles, etc. Today was all about getting used to saddling faster, and getting to ride around the Pen!

The first thing to do today was once again catch our horses, putting on the halters, and walking them down to the saddling area. All the riders used their newly learned knowledge from yesterday to saddle up and hop up on their mighty steeds, ready to hit the pen! Cinches were tightened, reins adjusted, and everyone was off to the races.

Once in the Pen, we all warmed our horses by doing laps in both directions before learning how to overcome obstacles. Our horses can be very avoidant, so having a helping hand (our riders!) keep them focused on the challenge ahead, they learn the skills to accomplish the task.

While trail riding is still a couple days out, our riders are learning all the fundamental skills of horse control, mutual respect, guidance, and non-verbal communication. The days ahead are packed full of learning and exciting riding!