Since I started working with horses, I have been
approached many times by interested people. Many of them were
looking for basic information on what work you can do with horses, what
equipment you need and how to get started.
I put together two different courses which I run since 2009 -
for anybody interested in learning about working with horses in farming.
Since 2010, I am recognised as a
certified APRI trainer with the Training Board of the German Work Horse
Association (IGZ) to hold training courses in working with horses
according to the IGZ training guidelines, which can be viewed on http://www.ig-zugpferde.de/inhalt/downloads/a90/APRI (website only in German so far, but English translation in progress...).
The courses I run are very much hands-on and equip people with basics skills around draft work with horses.
They give people the opportunity to experience working with horses and horse-drawn tools in a safe environment.
And they offer a day of fun with like-minded people!
Course participants learn some theory, a lot of practical skills and get an opportunity to work with my two horses, Henry and Winnie.
The
number of participants is limited to small groups with a maximum of 8, so that
people can benefit from as much as possible one-to-one interaction with
tutor and horse.
Courses 2012
Introduction to working with horses
This course covers the following topics:
History of the work horse
Different breeds of draft horses
Care for the work horse
Different types of harness
Harnessing the work horse correctly
Long-reining with one and two horses
Different horse-drawn tools and their use in farming
Participants do not need previous experience with horses for this course - beginners are welcome!
Dates:Saturday, 30th June 2012
Saturday, 8th September 2012
Cost: €80 (including lunch and refreshments)
Bookings: Deposit of €30 must be paid to secure a place.
See here for comments and photos on this year's spring course.
Working horse course advanced
This course is aimed at people who already have some experience of handling horses or who may even have started working with their horses.
Also, people who attended the introduction course may be interested in this day as a follow-on.
This course aims at refreshing and refining skills and will look at different areas of specialisation such as horticulture and logging. We will also spend some time on how to start training your work horse safely.
Date: I run this course based on demand, so if you are intersted, please contact me!
Cost: €80 (including lunch and refreshments)
Bookings: Deposit of €30 must be paid to secure a place.
Weekend workshop: Working with horses (APRI approved course)
This course will run over a long weekend (Friday evening to Sunday afternoon) and will give participants the opportunity to get a thorough introduction to working with horses. There will be plenty of time to practice with the horses, and we will also look at some of the theory.
This course is approved by the Training Board of the German Work Horse Association (IGZ) as an APRI Grundkurs Arbeitspferde.Course language will be English, but there will be hand-outs of the course contents available in German.
Date: 10th to 12th August 2012
Cost:€160 (including refreshments and lunch on Sat. and Sun.) Overnight stay not included - must be booked separately. We can provide a list of local B&Bs.
Bookings: Deposit of €50 must be paid to secure a place.