A Plus Horsemanship, LLC

01/21/2025

Have you ever heard a trainer or clinician tell you to work on your timing and feel? Or how important timing and feel are while riding? We hear these things ALL the time, and while they’re super important to having clear communication with your horse, I feel like it’s not often that it’s broken down into small, understandable pieces! Well yeah, I can feel my horse underneath me, but can I feel when each leg is in the air at a walk, trot and canter? Or when my horse’s hind end is engaging to ask for a stop? Can you figure out which diagonal or lead you’re on without peeking?

Did you know improving your timing and feel can help you with things as simple as your horse tossing its head in a transition, ignoring your cues/delayed responses, simple lead departure issues, all the way to helping you create that sliding stop you’ve been dying to have, and can even help perfect things such as flying lead changes and so much more!

My goal as a clinician is to break this down as far and as simple as possible for you, to help you grasp the understanding and improve your foundation and horsemanship! Feel comes naturally to some people, and while teaching, it’s so important to keep in mind that it’s not that easy for everyone! The first day of learning how to feel is the most important, and once it clicks, it will start to feel more and more natural every day - before you know it, you won’t even have to think about it! Your habits won’t change in a day, but I will give you the knowledge to be aware of what to feel for, a baseline off exercises to build off of, and you will get to see for yourself how much working on your timing and feel can influence your riding!

Come join me May 24 for a day filled with learning and a new perspective on timing and feel for all levels/disciplines of horse and rider!

This clinic will be capped at 8 riders to ensure each horse/rider will get adequate attention.

Clinic registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZJX8zDXFCAhyhuGEwRC3ktDT9HQGKdllcIxK3pGKkJ4/viewform

01/02/2025

I will be placing an apparel order this weekend.

If you are interested in A Plus Horsemanship T-shirts, Sweatshirts, or Hats, let me know! I've attached the size and color options!

In addition, I am willing to make small quantities with your own logo or brand, or I can add your horse's name, etc! For this, there would be a $15 one-time fee per design.

01/01/2025

First clinic of the year! This is a great opportunity to get your young horses, horses who have been sitting a while, or that horse you just bought and haven’t quite clicked with yet out and about under professional instruction!
Has your horse never been on a trail ride off property?
Maybe you haven’t hauled alone to a new place?
Haven’t ridden much since fall?
Horse picked up some bad habits you want to fix?
May 10 is the day!😉 I am breaking this day up into 2 hour sessions with 2 horses at a time so I can ensure each horse gets all of the focus from me that it needs. I will pair groups based on their goal for the day - if two people want to get their horse out on the trail, I will schedule them at the same time, if two just want to get their horse exposed in the arena, they will go together, same thing if anyone wants to work obstacles!

Looking forward to helping you and your greenies gain some confidence out and about!

Please fill out the attached form to register😊
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZJX8zDXFCAhyhuGEwRC3ktDT9HQGKdllcIxK3pGKkJ4/viewform?edit_requested=true

Happy New Year everyone! We've got some great things lined up for this year. Each day this week I will be featuring an event or clinic that will be happening at our place. We have availability if you would like to host something on our property. Just give us a call and I can let you know what dates are available. We can't wait to see you again this year!!!

11/01/2024

I have some availability for lessons or training sessions next week (given at your facility on your horse)! Let’s take advantage of this beautiful weather while we still have it!🍂☀️

I also have some exciting news that I’ve completely redone my website, so now you can schedule lessons much more conveniently!🥳

Head to the website, click the button to schedule lessons, pick from any of the available time slots, and Bam! Just like that your lesson is scheduled!🤗

You’ll also notice I’ve added some new “Lesson Packages”. Starting in 2025, lessons will be discounted if you schedule 4+ at a time, and even more discounted if you pre-pay for 4+ at a time. This is to help my schedule be more laid out, versus just scheduling as we go(but that is still an option too!)

Let me know if you have any questions(or if something on the website isn’t working😅 after staring at the same screen for hours on end, everything starts to blur together)

Horseback riding lessons and training in Sturgeon Bay, WI.

10/25/2024

I have a few more spots left for Saturday! Bring your own horse, and we can personalize your 1 hour time slot to whatever you need! Over 70 obstacles available, a nice big arena, or miles of trails! I am willing to give lessons in the arena, on the obstacles, help with ground work, put a training ride on your horse for you, ride alongside (or on your horse) on trail to help gain confidence, or whatever you may need! Let’s take advantage of Geitner’s last weekend and get you and your horse confident and in a good spot before winter!

Please message me to reserve your spot!
I currently have 9:45 and 1:45 available!

10/21/2024

Who wants to ride this weekend?! Let’s hit the trails, work some obstacles, or fine tune in the arena! I’m up for whatever you need help with! 1 hour slots available throughout the day, message me to reserve your spot! 🍂

10/21/2024

DON’T FORCE POSITION… HORSE OR RIDER

Visiting with a rider during a lesson yesterday, I had a realization that my approach to rider biomechanics has changed right alongside my changing approach to horse biomechanics, with the influence of Baucher’s Second Manner, this past year.

So a little background…
19th century Baucher is infamous for, late in his career, rejecting his First Manner, which fixated on subjugating head positions, and replacing it with his Second Manner, which focused on balance, and ignored head position completely.

Essentially, what he originally thought he needed to force as a starting point, he later realized as the
natural end result of balance.

Modern riders see the form of the end results, and think we can start there, via force, both with ourselves, and our horses.

We think, if I could just sit like that, I could do what they’re doing, too.

That long, quiet, classical leg?

The low, quiet, classical hands, the powerful but graceful line of the waist and shoulders?

We don’t get that by fixating on it and forcing it.

We get it by riding the maneuvers, and prioritizing self-carriage and self-impulsion.

Those tight, weak hip flexors we keep trying to force open?

Will release and strengthen, rep by rep, each time we have to stretch our leg back to help the horse work each hind leg, day by day.

Opening our hip angle will happen naturally.

Internally rotating from the hip will happen naturally.

Stop trying to force it.

But be warned, if you do focus on natural progression over a certain ‘look,’ you WILL hear, ‘Your horse isn’t round enough,’ ‘Your leg isn’t long enough,’ etc.

But stay the course.

Nothing beautiful has ever come from force.

It’s worth the wait.

You’ve given your horse some grace; don’t forget about yourself.

10/18/2024

It's FRIDAY and it's going to be a beautiful weekend!!! The colors are at their peak right now and we've got a lot planned if you want to come up and have a little fun.

Saturday we will have a scavenger hunt from 10:00am-3:00pm. If you are not a registered camper you just need to purchase a day pass at the office.

Saturday night we will be having a glow stick ride from 6:30pm-10:00pm. The day pass will also cover the glow stick ride. We will have certain trails lit up for you to ride through. The moon has been beautiful this week and it will help light your way. If you have glow sticks, decorate your horse, if not Walmart and the Dollar Tree still have glow sticks available. (sorry I don't have any for purchase in the store this year). Glow Stick Ride also goes through our Haunted Woods that we decorated just for you to enjoy.

Sunday we are having our Equine First Aid Clinic with Dr. Matt Schaefer. Clinic starts at noon. if you are coming to just do the clinic you do not need a day pass but you will need to stop in the office to register and it is $35 to attend the clinic. Please bring a camping chair to sit on.

It's going to be a beautiful weekend and we only have one weekend after this until the campground closes for the year.
We would love to see you!

10/09/2024

Had a few last minute riding spots open up for my clinic this weekend! Please message me if you would like a spot 😊I currently have 3 riding spots available.

09/23/2024

Echo 💕

Freshly gentled and ready to take whichever direction you’d like!

Echo is 12 years old, 15hh and a big b***d, sturdy built mustang. I wouldn’t consider her “drafty” but definitely stocky! She is absolutely gorgeous and is sure to turn heads.

She’s very attentive and curious. She is still on edge at times, but has learned to enjoy scratches, so once she understands that’s what’s happening she keeps coming back for more. She wants to please, and she has very soft, kind eyes. She is very smart and is constantly licking and chewing throughout our sessions. I think she would thrive as a trail horse for someone who wants a sure footed, confident horse with lots of life experience. She is relatively dominant in a herd, but has been kept with both mares and geldings with no issues.

Fun fact about Echo: she is from the popular South Steens, Oregon HMA and has been tracked and photographed throughout her entire life in the wild until she was rounded up in September of 2022.

She is in the middle of her gentling process with an estimate that she will be ready to go by mid October!

She does require an approved BLM application (12x12 stall or 5ft tall 20x20 corral) so I would like to get some potential adopters lined up as I finish up her gentling! I am more than happy to assist with you BLM application and answer any questions you may have.

When she leaves she will have about 4-6 weeks of consistent handling under her belt.

✅Be able to be caught and haltered in a small pen
✅Stand tied and give to pressure
✅Lead inside and outside of her pen
✅Introduced to and respectful of electric fence (adopter is still required to have a solid corral available for the transition)
✅Behave well around dogs
✅Yield hindquarters
🟩Willingly load and back out of a trailer
🟩Understand the concept of picking up all four feet
🟩Stand calmly for grooming

Located in Sturgeon Bay WI. I can assist with hauling up to 200 miles.

Pictures range throughout her life from birth in the wild to the beginning of her gentling.

BLM reassignment plus training fee

09/06/2024

Adopted✅
This sweet girl is so ready to find her person🥹🥰 who wants a mustang that’s excited to see you, will walk right up you for scratches, and follow you around begging for more? Maple is your girl! She is the sweetest, chillest, friendliest mustang I’ve gotten in, and she’s ready to find her person!💕 Message me if you are interested!

09/01/2024

Adopted✅
Maple

4yo, 15.1+ HH, sorrel mare from Sheepshead-Heath Creek HMA in Oregon. She was captured in September 2021.

Maple is a tall, gorgeous, athletic-built mustang. If you are looking for one for barrels/endurance/eventing/or anything that needs an athletic horse, she’s your girl!

She’s very smart! She definitely thrives when being asked to do things versus told to do them, and she’s smart enough to trust her handler and do mostly anything they ask if she trusts them.

She’s confident and when she decides something is okay, she’s chill and doesn’t care about it anymore.
She yields her hindquarters well, and loves scratches. She’ll walk right up to you in her pen!

When she leaves she will have about a month of consistent handling under her belt! She will require an approved BLM application (which only requires a pen with 5ft fencing or a 12x12 stall since she’s gentled - I can help you figure out a way to get your facility set up if needed!😊)

She jumps right in the trailer and will walk out or back out. She’s been loaded as the only horse, and has also been loaded as the last horse in a full trailer.

Currently:
-Halter Broke ✅
-Leads in her pen and out of the pen✅
-Has been hauled off property and maintains her groundwork well✅
-Can be caught in a small pen✅
-Stands tied✅
-Stands for grooming✅
-Yields Hindquarters✅
-Introduced to basic obstacles✅
-Behaves around dogs✅
-Loads well✅
-Will walk or back out of a trailer✅
-In progress of picking up all four feet for cleaning, and will have that finished before she leaves! 🟩

Watch her video to see some videos of her doing obstacles, and walk/trot/canter movement

Located in Sturgeon Bay, WI

I can assist will hauling up to 200 miles.

BLM reassignment plus training ###x

09/01/2024